December 2017

Southeast asia

december 2017

10th

Anniversary Off-season Kyoto Fun Wellness Retreats, really Australia’s Top End Singapore S$7.90 / Hong Kong HK$43 Thailand THB175 / Indonesia IDR50,000 Malaysia MYR18 / Vietnam VND85,000 Macau MOP44 / Philippines PHP240 Burma MMK35 / Cambodia KHR22,000 Brunei BND7.90 / Laos LAK52,000

A majestic climb that will fire up your spirit What makes Ijen Crater a world-class climb? It’s one of the only two volcanoes that shoot out blue ďŹ re. Making them a feast for those who are hungry for thrills. Witness the many historical adventures in astonishing events such as Kuwung Festival (December). Travel to Bali to experience a courteous welcome in Penglipuran Village Festival (December). Relish in numerous engaging activities in Denpasar Festival (December). Perfected with fascinating cultures, ravishing natural landscapes, exquisite dishes, and everything in between, this land is guaranteed to provide you with challenging strangely beautiful discoveries. So be daring, take challenges, enjoy life. Have it your own way in the land of endless wonders.

www.indonesia.travel indonesia.travel

Indonesia.Travel

indtravel

Mount Ijen, Banyuwangi, East Java

STYLE SAVVY Pullman Hotels & Resorts cater to the new generation of socially connected and sophisticated world travellers. These global nomads make the world their playground, and Pullman crafts an environment for them to thrive with best-in-class business and fitness facilities, contemporary design, and creative food and beverages. From vibrant cities to idyllic beaches in Thailand and Vietnam, Pullman’s stylishly cool aesthetic is the ideal hub for professionals who blur the line between office hours and leisure time.

Pullman Bangkok King Power - Thailand

Evoking the relaxing ambiance of a resort, Pullman

tastefully fitted with modern Thai furniture, local art,

Bangkok King Power is an oasis of calm in the heart

and daybeds on every balcony. Panoramic vistas and

of the city. Guests can take a swim in Bangkok’s

three free-form swimming pools make it the resort

largest infinity pool overlooking the lush botanical

of choice for both romantic and family-friendly

garden, rejuvenate at the Le Spa with a pampering

getaways. The four restaurants and bars deliver on

signature treatment, or experience award-winning

Pullman’s promise of balanced food and beverage

bars and restaurants throughout the hotel. As the first property in the world to feature «The Junction at Pullman», the lobby is a happening social hotspot.

By day, gourmet coffees and tapas-style snacks make for trendy, casual business meetings. In the evening, friends new and old unwind with signature cocktails and laid-back vibes from the resident DJ. Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort has a fresh new look that embraces the natural surroundings and mesmerises guests with stunning views of sparkling Makham Bay and its pristine white-sand beaches. Chic and contemporary, the resort delivers the dreaminess of a secluded tropical escape, yet is just 15 minutes from the fragrant markets and cultural wonders of Phuket Town. Rooms are

Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort - Thailand

Pullman Saigon Centre - Vietnam

choices, while the award-winning Talay Spa offers genuine Southern Thai treatments, including beauty consultation and fitness training.

In true Pullman fashion, Pullman Saigon Centre is quite unlike any conventional hotel. Every wall is adorned with modern art, while rooms and suites are the ultimate in comfort and offer dramatic city views from every room. But the new star is Mad Cow Wine & Grill, a daring dining experience the combines the feel of an edgy grill with the casual tone of an urban wine bar. The culinary team achieves flavour perfection with its handmade charcoal grill, premium grass-fed beef from Australia, market-fresh seafood, and hand-picked wines. Striking design encourages sociable nights while celebrating life’s successes and

Pullman Vung Tau - Vietnam

basking in Saigon’s splendour from the 30th floor. the cosmopolitan traveller. The excellent soundSurrounded by long sandy beaches, Pullman Vung

proofing and comfortable bedding ensure blissful

Tau is the first 5-star international hotel in historic

nights, while the convenient desk and free Wi-Fi

Vung Tau City. And it offers the area another first

keep on-the-go executives connected. With two

with the opening of Sweet&Co. The new bakery

state-of-the-art ballrooms and meeting facilities

cafe is the top spot for indulging in a wide selection

capable of handling 2,000 guests, this is also Vung

of mouthwatering treats, including decadent cakes,

Tau’s premier event destination.

pastries, coffee, bubble tea and an ice cream bar.

Contemporary rooms and suites with inspiring views of city or sea are modern sanctuaries for

For more information, visit pullmanhotels.com or accorhotels.com

Spices, Spires and Splendid Celebrations

Wondrous Macao boasts the best of East and West Walking and eating our way through Macao has been the best way to experience the city and its history.

The Portuguese arrived in Macao first as merchants and missionaries and brought along with them spices and ingredients picked up along the trade route and from their colonies that spanned from Mozambique to Goa to Melaka, before even intercultural marriages with locals in their colonies took place.

These were voyages of discovery by intrepid adventurers, and we eagerly—and hungrily!—followed in their footsteps.

acao g Mlin e Theendinazsuzlalinsk y P Cantonese roast duck on marinated noodles

We strolled through the old quarters on the Macao Peninsula this trip, taking in the diverse architecture of Chinese shophouses from the Art Deco era, along side churches built in the 16th to 17th centuries. Our favorites includes the three oldest: St. Lawrence, St. Anthony’s, and St. Lazarus—all located walking distance from each other.

Along the way we stopped for traditional hot milk tea and egg tarts of the perfect consistency and mellow sweetness near St. Paul’s Ruins, the UNESCO heritage site (and former church) that graces many Macao postcards.

We indulged in another coffee break with a strong traditional Portuguese espresso at Ou Mun Café off Senado Square. Here, we enjoyed a Tigelada—a type of traditional Portuguese egg dessert that is light and fluffy and has a similar consistency of a French canelé and very different from Patéis de Natas that originated in Lisbon. You see them everywhere on the streets of Macao as Po’ tart. Legend has it that in the past, egg whites were used to starch religious robes and nuns’ habits, and the many egg yolks were turned into Portuguese cakes and desserts.

As we plan our next trip, we are looking forward to some red carpet action at the second International Film Festival & Awards coming up this December 8–14. Our cameras are also ready to capture the colorful

eets of The quoladintMastcar o The 2nd International Film Festival is Dec.8-14

Prego Portuguese be steak sandwich ef

w e Lunar Ne Ring inin th 018 Year February 2

Macao Interntaional Parade on December 20. Commemorating Macao’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1999, the large-scale outdoor event features acrobats, musicians and dancers that snake through the city and spectators get to participate by following the parade!

It’s like carnival, but as an exuberant, Technicolor celebration of the city’s wonderful multi-culturalism.

Oh, and the itinerary for 2018? We have pencilled in our calendar Chinese New Year festivities next February. Bring on the lion dances, fireworks and firecrackers!

The Macao International Parade is Dec. 20

MACAO GOVERNMENT TOURISM OFFICE

ADDRESS: A lameda Dr. Carlos d'A ssumpção, n.os 335-341, E difício " Hot Line", 12º andar, M acao www.macaotourism.gov.mo | E-MAIL: mgto@macaotourism.gov.mo TEL: +853 2831 5566 | FAX: +853 2851 0104 | TOURISM HOTLINE: +853 2833 3000

December

ON THE COVER

features

On our Best of 2017 list, the clear blue waters of Raja Ampat.

Photographed by Ronni Santoso.

96

Call for Retreat The best new trend in wellness resorts is programs where you hardly notice how healthy you’re getting.

108

Deep Down Under When photographer Tom Parker toured Northern Australia, he discovered a landscape that was both a test of his skill and a profound inspiration.

114 96 108

c l o c k w i s e F R O M t o p LE F T: c o u r t e s y o f c h o s e n ; t o m pa r k e r ; w e i x i a n g l i m ; s a lva l Ó p e z

128 120

There’s Nothing Like a Dame Iconic old-world hotels draw past and present together. By Joe Cummings. Illustrations

by Virginie Broquet.

120

Motor City Jakarta has a gleaming new modern art museum, swish places to stay and a diverse dining scene. By Duncan Forgan.

Photographed by Weixiang Lim.

128

Out of the Blue For Devin Friedman and his family, a summer getaway to the Spanish island of Menorca turns out to be unforgettable for reasons both familiar and unexpected.

Photographed by Salva López.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

11

In Every Issue

T+L Digital 14 Contributors 16 The Conversation 17 Editor’s Note 18 Deals 92 Wish You Were Here 138

contents

As we celebrate a decade of Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, some of our contributors look back at the journeys that have stayed with them. In their memories, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for future trips.

40 Forever Kyoto Japan’s former

imperial capital resounds with a sense of tradition. Yet behind the historic façade lies a vibrant, beguiling modern city.

46 A Taste of the Unexpected

Australian chef Clayton Wells plates unconventional flavor combinations with smart, confident style, in Singapore.

50 Local Gems With a fresh take on traditional design, three jewelrymakers shape local treasures into wearable modern art.

58

12

52 A Swiss Escape Lucerne and

neighboring stops around its much-adored lake have undergone a revamp that revisits former heady days when the region was an exclusive getaway.

Special 73 The Best of 2017 Whether they were long anticipated or a welcome surprise, this year’s best new openings take contemporary dining, boutique shopping and luxury travel to innovative new heights.

58 Peru Five Ways New

opportunities to experience the Land of the Incas are taking travelers off the beaten path.

62 A Land Outside Time Renowned paleontologist Louise Leakey leads journeys into an otherworldly part of northern Kenya, where some of the oldest human fossils have been found.

64 Tuscany on Two Wheels The

culinary pleasures of this iconic region somehow taste better when you’re in the driver’s seat— of a scooter.

46

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

50

73

F R O M LE F T: c o u r t e s y o f b e l m o n d ; c o u r t e s y o f B l a c k wat t l e ; c o u r t e s y o f d u o n g j e w e l r y + o b j e c t s ; c o u r t e s y o f B awa h I s l a n d

21 10 Favorite Assignments

+

t+l digital

Lookout

wild Lombok Teeming with natural life and lush jungles, this Indonesian isle is Bali’s untamed, unspoiled sibling. We’ve got a few reasons why you should consider a visit.

Where to Eat in Rangoon The dining scene in this vibrant Burmese city is blowing up, as evidenced by these thoroughly craveworthy dishes.

Riding the Rails to K ampot All aboard for a scenic ride to Cambodia’s atmospheric coastline for culture and cuisine, and a journey you never imagined.

Download Us

Follow Us

Keep up with Us

T+ L Ta bl e t Edi t ion s

twitter.com/ travleisureasia

Sign up for our newsletter for monthly highlights and offers from T+L Southeast Asia.

Available on iOS, Android, Win 8 and Zinio Desktop Reader.

facebook.com/ travelleisureasia pinterest.com/ travleisureasia

tandl.asia/newsletter

instagram.com/ travelandleisureasia

Contact Us

f

14

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

tleditor@ mediatransasia.com

travelandleisureasia.com

fr o m l e f t: L a u r y n I s h a k ; c o u r t e s y o f R a n g o o n T e a H o u s e ; T h o m a s Cr i s t o f o l e t t i

this month on tr avel andleisureasia.com

Why you need to check out another underrated island paradise near Bali; an inside look at Changi Airport’s state-of-the-art new terminal; Yayoi Kusama’s dazzling exhibit in Tokyo; Hong Kong’s spirit-driven speakeasy; the latest travel deals and more.

contributors

2

Weixiang Lim

Janice Leung Hayes

Motor City Page 120 — “Jakarta is a melting pot, but different from Singapore,” says Lim, who lives in the city-state. “Our diversity is more overt, you see people of different skin colors, from all around the world. Jakarta brings together people from all across the vast Indonesian archipelago. The best part of this assignment was photographing Friday prayers at the Istiqlal. Seeing the mass of people prostrate as one gave me goosebumps.

It was truly humbling.” Yes, the city’s notorious traffic was bad during peak hours, “but there is a hack: using motorcycle taxis which make for thrilling rides.”

Instagram: @weixianglimsg.

Best of 2017: Hong Kong Page 73 — “It’s a fast city, really fast,” says the Melbourne-raised writer of Hong Kong, where she was born and has lived on and off for 20 years. In a foodand-drink scene marked by “more sustainable initiatives and more experimentation in Asian cuisines that are deeply rooted in tradition,” her favorite new spot is Happy Paradise. Tip: order the slowcooked chicken. Exciting news for 2018? “Sounds silly, but Shake Shack. The new Rosewood will definitely be making a splash, too.” Still, nostalgia endures. “One of my fave neighborhoods is Sham Shui Po. Look for the congee shop called Hop Yik Tai.” Instagram: @e_ting.

3

4

Joe Cummings

Duncan Forgan

There’s Nothing Like a Dame Page 114 — “Staying at a grande dame is probably the nearest thing to time travel I’ll ever experience,” says the American writer who reflects on Asia’s classic hotel icons this month. “Their heritage must be respected, rather than being left to faded glory or worse,” he says. “My favorite will always be the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, because it was my first. In 2003, I met Mick Jagger there for what was supposed to be a one-hour documentary shoot. We ended up spending several days together, drinking at the Bamboo Bar and hanging out in the stunning Oriental suite.”

Instagram: @joejcummings.

Motor City Page 120 — “Jakarta veers from sublime to hellish,” the Scottish writer says. “The hellish is obvious: traffic problems are chronic.

The sublime? Incredible food, welcoming locals, a no-holds-barred nightlife and the volume of places to explore. I enjoyed taking a long Sunday breather with my book at Taman Monas, an oasis of greenery adjacent to the National Monument,” he says. “Take a population that encompasses the length of Indonesia, throw in some colonial intrigue, a Chinese population and a band of thirsty expats and you have an eclectic list of ingredients that is essential to Jakarta.”

Instagram: @dunc1978.

W r i t er

3

16

4

W r i t er

W r i t er

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f W e i x i a n g L i m ; c o u r t e s y o f J a n i c e L e u n g H ay e s ; c o u r t e s y o f J o e C u mm i n g s ; c o u r t e s y o f D u n c a n F o r g a n

2

december 2017

1

P h o to gr a p h er

1

|

the conversation

7

Tokyo Japan

44

23

Shanghai China

Kathmandu Nepal

54 Taipei Taiwan

46

20 PHUKET Thailand

BANGKOK Thailand

1 SINGAPORE

#TLASIA

Gliding through the water on Inle Lake. By @unevireeadeux.

Where do travelers feel most at home in the world?

According to numbers crunched by holiday website TravelBird, Singapore is the most welcoming city, voted No. 1 by visitors for its safe streets, top-notch airport and openness to tourism, beating Stockholm, Helsinki and San Francisco for the title. Known for friendly locals and an easygoing way of life, the rest of Asia scored high marks, too. Out of the 500 global destinations in the survey, here are the rankings of some of the top cities in our region awarded for their open arms.

As 2017 draws to a close and the holiday season is upon us, we’ve loved seeing how our readers relax.

Letting go of the year’s troubles at Chiang Mai’s lantern festival.

By @maxturner.co.

Finding peace among the trees in Taiwan. By @taytaysparks.

Catching rays in Cambodia.

By @jetsetchristina.

Share an Instagram photo by using the #TLAsia hashtag, and it may be featured in an upcoming issue. Follow @travelandleisureasia

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

17

editor’s note

|

december 2017

make us smile long after the fact. This issue marks the 10th anniversary of Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, so we’re taking a look at some of our contributors’ favorite trips for the magazine and are a little bit bowled over by the response. Each of the writers, editors and photographers came away with an entirely different focus about what makes travel memorable (“10 Favorites,” page 21). One writes that she returns to familiar stops only to uncover the unfamiliar. As a photographer points out, sometimes what makes a place so memorable is right under our noses, while another has to agree as he’s surfing on an Indonesian wave he’ll never forget. Travel, points out a writer, underscores how our lives are continually changing along with the places we visit. The journey, says another, can help us cope with that change, particularly when it concerns personal loss.

Of course, travel also involves continuity, so this month we look at Asian hotels that have stood the test of time and then some (“There’s Nothing Like a Dame,” page 114), where the address is as much the journey as it is a place to stay the night. For those looking at farther horizons, “Deep Down Under” (page 108), photographer Tom Parker’s journey around the otherworldly landscape at the top of Australia is a must. It could very well become a favorite.

@CKucway chrisk@mediatransasia.com

18

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

From My Travels

For the past few years, I’ve been saying that Singapore has upped its game and has become one of the more interesting cities to visit in Asia. Yet, it’s taken me this long to see the National Gallery, home to a solid collection of art that doubles as a history lesson, both of the city state and of Southeast Asia. The actual space the museum occupies is, as many have pointed out, just as stunning.

fr o m l e f t: t h a n a k o r n c h o m n awa n g ; c h r i s t o p h e r k u c way ( 2 )

We all have our favorite journeys, trips we’ve made that

A T I M ELES S C E L E BRATI ON Usher in the New Year in luxury at the best beachfront location in Seminyak.

Count down to 2018 and bask in a celebratory mood this final day of the year with an indulgence at The Restaurant, complete with the finest and most exquisite set dinners comprising of a fusion of the best Balinese and International delights there is to offer. But why stop there? Continue the mood by reveling in the company of one another as the evening transitions into a magical night of dancing and takes on an undeniably jubilant tone, a perfect close for the year.

Bali Office

Jakarta Office

The Club At The Legian Bali Jalan Kayu Aya, Seminyak Beach Bali 80361 - Indonesia T +62-361730622 F +62-361730623 Sovereign Plaza 11th Floor Jalan TB Simatupang Kav 36 Jakarta 12430 - Indonesia T +62-2129400121 F +62-2129400119

reservation@thelegianbali.com www.thelegianbali.com www.LHM-hotels.com

editor-in-chief art director Deput y editor Features editor senior DEsigner DEsigner assistant EDITOR

Christopher Kucway Wannapha Nawayon Jeninne Lee-St. John Eloise Basuki Chotika Sopitarchasak Autchara Panphai Veronica Inveen

Regul ar contributors / photogr aphers Cedric Arnold, Kit Yeng Chan, Philipp Engelhorn, Marco Ferrarese, Duncan Forgan, Diana Hubbell, Lauryn Ishak, Mark Lean, Melanie Lee, Grace Ma, Ian Lloyd Neubauer, Morgan Ommer, Aaron Joel Santos, Stephanie Zubiri chairman president publishing director publishER digital media manager TRAFFIC MANAGER / deputy DIGITAL media manager sales director business de velopment managers chief financial officer production manager circul ation assistant

J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj Robert Fernhout Pichayanee Kitsanayothin Varin Kongmeng Joey Kukielka Leigha Proctor Tim Rasenberger Gaurav Kumar Kanda Thanakornwongskul Yupadee Saebea

TR AVEL+LEISURE (USA) Editor-in-Chief Senior Vice President / Publishing Director Publisher

Nathan Lump Steven DeLuca Joseph Messer

TIME INC. INTERNATIONAL LICENSING & DEVELOPMENT (syndication@timeinc.com) Senior Director, Business De velopment E xecutive Editor / International

Jennifer Savage Jack Livings

TIME INC. Chief E xecutive Officer Chief Content Officer

Joseph Ripp Norman Pearlstine

tr avel+leisure southeast asia Vol. 11, Issue 12 Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, 1603, 16/F, Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, North Point, Hong Kong.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Produced and distributed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd., 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, 75/8 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: 66-2/204-2370.

Printed by Comform Co., Ltd. (66-2/368-2942–7). Color separation by Classic Scan Co., Ltd. (66-2/291-7575). While the editors do their utmost to verify information published, they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

This edition is published by permission of Time Inc. Affluent Media Group 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 Tel. 1-212/522-1212 Online: www.timeinc.com Reproduction in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner is prohibited. subscriptions Enquiries: www.travelandleisuresea.com/subscribe ADVERTISING offices General enquiries: advertising@mediatransasia.com Singapore: 65/9029 0749; joey@mediatransasia.com Japan: Shinano Co., Ltd. 81-3/3584-6420; kazujt@bunkoh.com Korea: YJP & Valued Media Co., Ltd. 82-2/3789-6888; hi@yjpvm.kr

With its ideal combination of the vibrant city life and the great o u td o o r s , G e n eva i s inviting all year-round.

Located in the hear t of Europe amidst a dreamy set ting, here y o u c a n ex p e r i e n c e world- class events , fine dining, exclusive shopping and unforgettable excursions in the Alps.

DISCOVER MORE >

/ GENEVA, CRADLE OF LUXURY WATCHMAKING It’s no wonder that the famous 140m high Jet d’Eau, the symbol of the city has its origins in Geneva’s watchmaking history. Today, one can find here the finest watchmaking manufacturers worldwide, rightly establishing Geneva as the cradle of Swiss watchmaking. Tradition, innovation and constant demand for excellence is what makes Swiss watchmaking unique.

LIVE IT ALL THROUGH A MULTITUDE OF WAYS.

A visit to the unique Patek Philippe Museum with its impressive display of watches

/ EXPERIENCE GENEVA’S INTERNATIONAL AND HUMANITARIAN SPIRIT

Enjoy the Capital of Peace through prestigious landmarks and museums such as the International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent; the Palais des Nations which houses the European headquarters of the United Nations; the Place des Nations, a public square dedicated to the universal demand for peace.

Discover the international district on board an electric trolley bus, riding on a Segway or at your own pace with an audio guide.

DID YOU KNOW ?

/ The Broken Chair reminds everyone of the campaign against landmines.

is sure to leave you dazzled; follow the “Geneva Watch Tour” and discover exclusive boutiques, historical monuments and place s s u c h a s t h e wo r l d’s t a l l e s t m e c h a n i c a l clock; walk along the da zzling Rue du Rhône s h o p p i n g s t r e e t w h e r e t h e w o r l d ’s f i n e s t watch boutiques come together.

N o w t h a t yo u h ave i m m e r s e d yo u r s e l f i n to this exceptional world of creation, take a step fur ther and create your ver y own Swiss watch at tending a workshop.

DID YOU KNOW ?

/ The flower clock consists of 6,500 flowers and plants while its seconds-hand is 2.5 metres long.

/ ONLY ONE HOUR AWAY FROM THE ALPS Based in Geneva, you can experience the impressive Alps with daily excursions and get back on time to indulge in the city’s many wonders: shopping, gastronomy and nightlife.

Enjoy breakfast at your city hotel and then marvel at the panoramic views

from the nearby Mont-Salève or from the world-renowned Mont-Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe.

Go on a day trip to Gstaad by helicopter for a day of exclusive shopping and in the evening dine at one of Geneva’s award-winning restaurants.

DID YOU KNOW ?

/ Both Salève and Chamonix Mont-Blanc in France are easily accessible from Geneva

ed in a deca de cel ebr at

10

favor ite

a ssignments

th us long af ter Some travels stay wi it’s a place we’ll they’ve ended. Maybe cursion that never return to, an ex simply somewhere we changed our lives or Looking back with 10 had a great vacation. s ast Asia contributor Travel+Leisure Southe , you’ll find some over the past decade future trip. inspiration here for a

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

21

/ 10 favorite places /

” u r C d n a r G d n la a e Z w “Ne itor Le e- St . Jo hn , deputy ed e nn ni Je , 14 20 er tob Oc

richard mcleish (4)

uld visit, ce in the world they sho eone asks me the one pla som ver nd, from ene Isla wh th a, Nor Asi to the With apolog ies ion-packed road trip of ch on misty 10-day, wine-soaked, act bea a d On san d. cklan bla a Zea on New ose I say sea ls and mo i I looked into the eyes of ered that top-notch Kiw Wellin gton to Auckla nd, au Par ua Inlet. I discov Kaw r r ove ne you pla ere a wh of , out ive and locavore to the hilt Cook Strait, and jumped the ch livi ng that’s all-inclus ely ran nam d er: ate clos elev n ans eve me ee accom modat ion t val ley over and a ped igr a a Pinot Noi r from the nex rou ndi ng you r ma nse of roa st lamb comes wit h of the worki ng far m sur ws ado me over ling all rol gs of tin es tas e tar hec win m 00 fro 2,5 pens across the e in a week tha n I have I lea rned more about win pretension ma kes New room. Most import ant ly, ed wit h an utter lack of bin com sion Pas rs. yea 20 t pas knowledge they sha re the al the world dur ing ing, and the conversat ion ear end and ble cha ing Napier, roa app ny Hawke’s Bay (neighbor Zea land’s winem akers talk plate tec ton ics? Sun to uilt in the nt reb Wa ng e. abl bei r ain afte ret sur prisin gly hitectu re in the world centration of Art Deco arc one of wh ich, the r, con roi est ter larg of es the typ has e ers ich wh chwork of div epic ear thquake) is a pat of Ma rtinboroug h, on the 1930s in the wa ke of an Viognier. The litt le tow n and raz Shi at gre out rns chu plates, wh ich centur ies s, ian vel ral Gra ust tt ble o-A Gim ine of the Pacific and Ind shl cla the ng alo d sim ilarly suitable to ide is other hand, is div clim ate in this val ley rient-poor soi l. Wh ile the nut ich ma ke darker and se, wh loo , up ries hed ber r pus alle ago soi l begets fewer and sm r poo the dy, spent a week fall ing gun I t, Bur fac as grape-growin g you’ll find elsewhere. In n tha ys nna rdo Cha rs and wr ite home about. more complex Pinot Noi love alone wa s plenty to for Cha rdies and that new

22

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

“Heavenly Kingdom” December 2012, Ch ris to

ph er Ku cw ay, editor

you rself from the immediately removi ng You know that feeling of ctly that for me. exa s wa tan Visitin g Bhu everyday when you travel? mpu am id a swi rl Thi in my flig ht landed, I wa s Less tha n an hou r after , the women in gho st fine ir the in s—the men of vibrant Bhutanese silk l. No hotel tiva fes fina l day of a religious e-scented imm acu late kira—on the pin the , ple peo the g, t yet . The set tin y I love to check-in for me, not jus wh is d rloa s unfam ilia r sensor y ove e every tur Him alayan air, all of thi cap not ld cou hs rap case, my photog e it tim the travel. As is so often the nt, me light. Yet , for one brief mo litt le girl emotion, each shade of ul utif bea s thi nd fou I a photog raph, takes to fra me and shoot In my mind’s eye, this s of her parents’ finery. fold the m fro out g rin pee week in Bhutan . us rio glo a cursor to shot only ser ved as a pre

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

23

/ 10 favorite places /

“Mystery Trail”

oo dw ar d, photographer March 2017, Sc ot t A. W old ma no Kodo, a 900 -yeard 90 kilometers of the Ku kke tre I and r, al yea ritu last s spi ble day Over nine , it wa s an unforgetta Pen insula . Qu ite simply enerated on the pilg rim age on Japan’s Kii you die once but are reg it, s put sion res exp se ane Jap A . peacef ul hik ing ure of ent rs photog raphic adv to spend the ma ny hou n, it wa s nat ura l for me the viv id mossy s, d] hap [an Per es o. leav Kod ple no Ku ma pine, car pets of red ma and ar ced se ane beloved fam ily a Jap of but , throug h “sta nds am not a religious person o, I cou ldn’t g about loss and grief. I Kod tin no dita ma me ” Ku nes the sto ng ng alo steppi throug hout my jou rney and ay, . Given the aw me sed n pas upo ly th member had recent h her life and her dea and that consider the impact of bot th— and dea her n ut upo d abo nk ycle thi rec help but , or kami, is released and rgy ene al ide—it res ritu i spi kam ’s one the t Shi nto bel ief tha s, are places in wh ich tionship water falls and mount ain rela like s, our , ent life nm her iro n env l upo nat ura deep reflect ion thoughts would dri ft to ned in the story, seems inevitable that my ing her lifetime. As mentio dur red sha we tion nec con an ains. It’s a puzzle unt hum e mo clos red the sac h and re tha n a trek throug mo is age rim pilg o Ku ma no Kodo Kod the , “Japan’s Ku ma no chosen step.” Indeed rself wit h every carefu lly you s, driven by a to k day bac of ple you s cou t lead t firs tha riddle. I over-shot on the hic rap tog cant. I wa s pho nifi a h sig wit presented me I mig ht miss someth ing a nigglin g anx iety that iably, as the and var ent . In me item fra exc r of e afte tur me mix of the tra il, shootin g fra or end spl , foc usi ng l thm ura rhy nat l the ura overwhelmed by and set tled into a nat moments ent ure unfolded, I rela xed te adv ma the inti re and mo on the h und wo bot trek y, captur ing tfu l and creative ima ger on ma kin g more though l as the bigger pic ture. wel as me ng ndi rou sur

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

25

Vote for Your Favorite TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA

Cover and You Could Win a Stay with Four Seasons To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we’re asking you to vote for your favorite Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia cover of all time. By picking your No.1 out of our 120 covers, you’ll automatically enter to win a stay at either Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, or Four Seasons Tented Camp at Golden Triangle. http://contest.TravelandLeisureAsia.com/10years

Four Seasons Tented Camp at Golden Triangle

Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui

10

th

/ 10 favorite places /

“Where the Big Cats Roam”

ha k, photographer October 2015, La ur yn Is p in Jawai blended in Ind ia. Ou r tented cam This wa s my first time nni ng, and lookin g stu e wer a and the light into the landscape, the are ve-wracki ng. With as excitin g as it wa s ner for elusive leopards wa s incred ibly lucky. be to got ranteed; you’ve leopards, not hin g is gua . On our last , we stil l had n’t seen any Nea rin g the end of the trip and had to be by e clos t en’ side. They wer morni ng, luck wa s on our de ma wa lkin g on a lens but the shape the cat viewed throug h a zoom rni ng sky wa s mo ut d-o sta rk, wa she large rock and aga inst the k in this moment. l, our jeep silent as we too elegant . The air wa s coo

28

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

“In Search of Lost Time”

c o u rt esy o f s o n g sa a

es , writer and editor July 2012, Ri ch ar d He rm

s upon reachi ng lea st a few days must pas send us back in time. At ries mo once were—that me we vel ere tra wh our ing Usually t pleasu re of remember wee ers bitt the cor ns or at the nce per erie home before we exp d a bouquet of green pep say, where each plate hel n’t know we ter, did wa we the s on ling ck fee sha eal b litt le cra function of travel is to rev one if But . to the U.S. Saa ing g urn Son beyond-comfortable ment for T+L before ret s story—my last assign leptic thi t pro a tha l cal ing ht fitt s mig hap you per had, it is Asia—beg ins wit h what ast the Sou d to be in me rs see yea s nt thi after eig ht abu nda ore it’s gone. At the time, however, y missin g someth ing bef t, ead pec alr ros of ret se In sen lf. a itse ia, nostalg ian archipela go llic nat ure of the Cambod ion that had become about the precar iously idy lings about leav ing a reg fee d ate plic com re mo er, oth for this jou rney, and if I in to ndect sta a asp o it wa s als ed. There wa s a cat har tic lov I at wh and s wa y sense of loss I o insepa rable from wh and also pursued by a haz wa re of my sur rou ndi ngs era t moment in tha hyp y ng usl lizi neo ria mo ulta felt sim see why: I wa s already me now I , nds isla ng uili wh ile on these beg ad to lookin g back. time, already lookin g ahe

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

29

/ 10 favorite places /

“Wish You Were Here”

Januar y 2017, , photographer Sh in su ke M at su ka wa

j o h n ba rto n

m all over the onesia , sur fers gat her fro Along the coa stli ne of Ind west coa st of the Off n. now unk ely l larg world at sur fing spots stil . There is ces pla se tho Isla nds are one of Sum atra, the Mentawa i e on this day rod I one the like ves ter wa great loca l food, even bet to ourselves. have the best of times all and a cha nce to simply

30

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

17_379 © 2017 Preferred Hotels & Resorts

The Preferred Life J U S T A S H O R T WA L K T O WA R D T H E U N D I S C O V E R E D

Move your mind to a place of calm — where priorities align and relaxation ensues.

P R E F E R R E D H O T E L S . C O M

T H E F U L L ERTON HOT E L SI NGA POR E Singapore

A N DA R A R E S O R T & V I L L A S Phuket, Thailand

T H E LONGE MON T SH A NGH A I Shanghai, China

PREFERRED HOTELS & RESORTS WARMLY WELCOMES

SM

/ 10 favorite places /

“A Walk in the Clouds” , writer and photographer ou Ch an lli Li , 15 20 er Octob

foot in the na lon g before I’d ever set vince in southwestern Chi a landscape pro and nan ties Yun e ori lov min I’d of w ity I kne adorat ion for the divers my ed a in pen flor dee e al hav pic its tro ter ritory. Ma ny vis i La facing Tibet, to the ed mount ains in Sha ngr ors and old app flav w-c new of sno s rch che sea rea t In tha es in Yua nya ng. breathtak ing rice ter rac tes and what comes Xishua ngbanna, and the ces, cha rmed by their tas pla e sam the to urn ret to iced , but in Chi na, it’s ent ore s bef wa I e , don ons traditi n is someth ing I’d rarely bee I’ve ces pla ing ple. Kindness and isit peo from the land. Rev deeply the land and its g me to understand more e rem ained the win hav allo s ity, live ess ple nec sim a e becom and hea rts of ma ny whose es fac the m far mers and fro s, te ker ana pic innocence stil l em laborers includ ing tea met am azi ng art isa ns and I wa s aware of I s. its. vis tion t era pas of gen ion for e sam us of this story—a col lect foc the h wit . I had that y red larl offe ticu s noodle pul lers, par de for the generosity I wa ruddy-faced are, but filled wit h gratitu by s d live nde ir rou the t sur , cul ain diffi how lf’s Den Mount t on Lan gwoshan, or Wo cloudy rai n unt il the epipha ny in the rai ny mis d there in tents am id the live y the t tha d rne lea I en wh ind each dish. But rs beh age ry for sto oom the mushr s there for the food and wa I w kne I y, shl g lore over ma ny selfi atin d sea son ends. An it. I’ve listened to fascin wa s their cha nce to tell I made. and irs I’ve the nds s wa frie ry new sto the each pired to ret urn and visit meals and am always ins

32

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

/ 10 favorite places /

“The Central Ingredient”

nt os , photographer July 2017, Aa ro n Jo el Sa

on the cuisines of ang and Hoi, report ing Hoppi ng around Hue, Dan m in a new light. We to look at centra l Vietna that reg ion, I wa s forced Hue, took cookin g of e sid out art ist’s villa had vegeta ria n food at an nea r Danang, and ate Sea sons along the beach cla sses at the new Fou r Hoi An . Sometimes old h oug ile wa lkin g thr our weight in banh mi wh ire time: on our last under you r nose the ent the best thi ngs are rig ht a densely sweet and and e Hu bo ing bowl of bun day we woke to a steam y roadway, gasoline ety red stool beside a bus mil ky iced coffee on a rick ng air. Stil l blearyrni mo p dam fec tly in the and sta r anise mix ing per y in a place like this. lized that discovery is eas eyed and happy, we rea

34

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Celebrate High, Pay Less!

Dubbed as one of the best new hotels in Asia Pacific this year by travel experts, we invite you to celebrate our successful opening in style. Book your holiday season getaway with our special offers and welcome the 2018 with our bright and flavourful festivities at our award-winning new hotel on Seminyak Beach.

Enjoy our most attractive offers ever with Best Price Guaranteed on: seminyak.hotelindigo.com/offers @hotelindigobali Jalan Camplung Tanduk No. 10, Seminyak, Bali 80361 - Indonesia

Subscribe our blog: inseminyak.guide T: +62 361 209 9999 F: +62 361 209 9988

/ 10 favorite places /

“Breaking the Mold in Manila” here, but it’s all too easy ativ ity and cool are everyw cre e, tur Cul . city r t the people ide en I wrote this story, I me Ma nila is the ulti mate ins w you r way around . Wh kno ign labs wit h you des ess and unl s m erie the k to overloo clubs, experiment al eat per sup ret sec and phy, but of ces gra spa isn’t just a matter of geo beh ind world-cla ss art me that nav igatin g a city ght ver y same tau the y be The . can nce y— scie ert a social con s—tra ffic, pol lution, pov itor vis ge llen that stil l cha k, t bac tha perception: the thi ngs ovate. Today, when I go ima gine, invent , and inn favorite: to s ent zen rec (a citi ze ery aly cov cat dis t thi ngs tha bri ngs wit h it a fresh trip ry eve t tha nila , Ma ort to rep to ing food). To anyone travel holds true. And I’m glad ly bel ieve is the fut ure of ply am firm I be t ’ll ran you tau nd res a —a , Toyo Eatery d friend—or T+L d, some tips from a truste you mig ht be and , ital cap ine I say, go wit h an open min lipp Phi w the Cha nge the way you vie rewarded. Who knows? rld . inspired to cha nge the wo

36

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

fr a n c i s c o g u e rr e r o ( 5 )

itor and writer March 2012, La ra Da y, ed

LIVE IN THE MOMENT The Crimson in Mactan Island, Cebu is designed for laidback tropical holidays perfect for a lazy day lounging by the beach, indulging in your passions, making new discoveries or renewing ties with those who matter.

MacTaN. IN a HEarTbEaT

crIMsONHOTEL.cOM/MacTaN

/ 10 favorite places /

“Karen State of Mind” But I soon , I knew less tha n zero. ore I visited . Cor rec tion bef an Pawa s a litt le te ut Sta abo en ch mu Kar I did n’t know t the capital of Bur ma’s en paddies. I of tow n. It wa sn’t just tha gre d id kin lur my s and wa sts it d kar lize rea ng limestone y to a hinterland of stu nni a narcoleptic sna il—and cha rmer and the gatewa had all the dynam ism of it e— t enc nol som d me sha una its The best Tha i restau ran d. for it foo ed to e lov o als : especia lly when it cam an rity xic hila Me nal ary ntio sug a nte me uni ved its propensity for y pizza restau rant ser e Golden Cock” and its onl ated bal last . Such revelled in the name “Th mozza rella and tom ato-co ple sim e som s wa g vin cra s wa l only put tin g out I stil all is t en ma rga rita wh in a par t of Bur ma tha were of cou rse inevitable gone into any of ps ste had n mis atio che cul gau cal s htly iou slig eed, the fac t that litt le obv Ind s. itor to visit. As one re vis n asu eig ple for a the feelers for t of what made it such deservedly s around the city wa s par is ion tor act fac attr elty and nov hts my t sig tha the gkok, I’ve lon g accepted Ban myself in s nd ner fou I eig r, for eve of of a leg ion Tha r Yar Lake, how mm ing pool nea r Khan nky, Caucasian chu the h wit hs rap lim ited . At a nat ura l swi tog to take pho sm ilin g adm irers eager n, but it cer tain ly doesn’t sur rou nded by groups of to appreciate a destinatio r sta k roc a like l fee to e hav ’t of the most beautif ul don one ge, You er.

Lod n rlop a-a inte beddin g dow n at the Hp be to , rse cou of e, it wil l no doubt be d, tim sse hur t. I wa s ble st digs in Karen State. In she swi the far by ctacular and , rm welcome and the spe boutique lod ges in Bur ma l get to experience the wa wil s itor vis re mo and , joined by others as it always does. scener y. Life wil l cha nge

38

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

fr o m l e f t : c o u rt esy h pa-a n lo d g e ( 2 ) ; d u n ca n fo r ga n

rg an , writer October 2015, Du nc an Fo

/ travel diary /

Forever Kyoto Japan’s former imperial capital resounds with a sense of tradition—especially in wintertime, when colors are muted and branches are weighted with snow. Don’t be deceived, writes Pico Iyer. Behind the historic façade lies a vibrant, beguiling modern city. Photogr aphED by christopher kucway 1

40

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

When I moved to Kyoto from New York 30 years ago, I knew something of what awaited me: Silent, snowbound statues around the city’s 1,600 Buddhist temples, blond-wood plaques offering prayers in its 400 Shinto shrines. The suggestive magic of high shoes clacking down narrow lanes in the geisha district. Archers demonstrating their skill in the 400-year-old competition held at Sanjusangen-do, or the Temple of 1,001 Goddesses, each January.

Everywhere, a refinement developed over the 10 centuries Kyoto was home to the Japanese court.

What I didn’t expect was an ancient capital seasoned and savvy enough to keep itself constantly new.

Since my arrival, temples have begun opening their gates after nightfall for “Light-Up” displays that project holograms across white raked-sand gardens. I glimpse more kimonos amid ever-more fashionable old wooden houses. The Super Mario Brothers were born in Kyoto, as was the bard of global suburbia, Haruki Murakami. There’s an International Manga Museum four blocks away from the former Imperial Palace.

What remains unique about this city of students and master craftspeople is its ability to take in every cutting-edge trend, together with 50 million visitors a year, while always remaining itself, a portfolio of exquisite details. As I walk down one of the central shopping arcades, a clatter of pachinko parlors and fast-food outlets and dyed-blond girls in heels, signs remind me that there are still seven temples and a shrine along its 500-meter expanse.

Autumn has always been the best season for visiting, because the skies are cloudless and sharp, and the rusting leaves offer symphonies of perfectly choreographed color.

Winter only deepens that classically Japanese mix of poignancy and beauty. One recent afternoon, I saw a sign in Kyoto that announced, not untypically, nostalgia, but new, kyoto western. Ah, I thought: 1,223 years old and forever young.

2

3

1 An apprentice geiko, or maiko, normally undergoes a year’s training before becoming a geiko. In Kyoto, maiko start their apprenticeship as early as 15 years old, studying in the morning and performing traditional music and dance at night.

2 Fushimi Inari Shrine is known for its extended red torii gates, upwards of 10,000 in total, that lead to the outer shrine at the base of the mountain.

4

3 Amid the solitude of Arashiyama’s bamboo grove, on the western outskirts of Kyoto next to the Oi River.

Early in the morning, the only sound is the wind rustling through the bamboo.

4 Autumn splashes its colors across the grounds of the former Imperial Palace, making it a perfect spot for strolling or cycling.

/ travel diary / 5

5 Outside Kiyomizudera Temple, 13 meters above the forest floor, a group of schoolboys scans the surrounding forest of cherry and maple trees.

6

6 Kyoto’s immaculately kept Zen rock gardens create a miniature stylized landscape, one that is meant to aid meditation about the true meaning of life.

42

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

A World of Indulgences IN THE HEART OF "MONKEY MOUNTAIN" Nestled in a lush Nature Reserve on a private bay on the Son Tra Peninsula - commonly known to locals as ‘Monkey Mountain’ - the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort is nothing short of magical feast for the senses. Designed by famed architect Bill Bensley, the whimsical retreat is spread out over four levels which are meant to represent Heaven, Sky, Earth and Sea. Located a short drive from the fascinating UNESCO World Heritage historic town of Hoi An, the award-winning resort is the perfect setting to slip away into a jungle and beach oasis, while being immersed in the myth and beauty of Vietnam.

The defining feature that makes the resort a “crown Jewel” of South East Asia is its luxurious Club

A trip to this one-of-a-kind resort wouldn’t

Villa & Penthouse Collection. The exclusive collection is limited to only 32 units, which meld

be complete without sampling the culinary

exquisite indoor and outdoor living throughout the expansive spaces, starting with 130sqm up to

artistry from the nation’s own rich heritage,

1000sqm. All come with Club InterContinental privileges, world class amenities, access to a private

with a unique infusion of French cuisine.

beach as well as a wealth of exciting culinary delights and elite butler service.

La Maison 1888, helmed by world-acclaimed

For those looking for ultimate privacy, the resort’s most exclusive accommodation, Sun Peninsula Residence Villa, will surely delight. The residences span up to 1000sqm of grandiose living space just steps from a private pristine beach. Each luxurious villa is furnished with two swimming pools and sun terrace with lush daybed. Interiors include a fully equipped kitchen, and a living room furnished for both relaxation and entertainment. The master bedrooms come with the four-poster bed complete with its own elegant ensuite bathroom and private balconies surrounded by the natural wonders of Monkey Mountain.

chef Pierre Gagnaire, is the first and only restaurant in the country featuring a three Michelin-starred chef. The restaurant was designed to recreate an antique French mansion with each dining area its own intimate niche reflecting a period room.

The resort is filled with activities to suit your fancy, whether you want to explore the surrounding nature, soak up the local culture, or relax and enjoy reflexology on the beach. You can experience how local fishermen used to sail out for fishing with a traditional basket boat, or just have a relaxing time kayaking, or paddle boating on the surface of the crystal-clear water.

For more information or to make a reservation, please call +84 236 393 8888 or visit danang.intercontinental.com

/ travel diary / 7 The hand-made detailing on an obi, or sash, is as stylish as the entire robe itself.

A pattern with butterflies or cherry blossoms is worn in the spring.

8 Nishiki Market is also known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen,” and with good reason. More than

100 shops specialize in all manner of food, such as the pickled vegetables shown here.

9 Manicured pine trees, often called “tortured pines,” around temples and castles are pruned constantly by gardeners to achieve a certain shape.

7

8

9

The details GETTING THERE Fly to either Osaka or Tokyo, where there is regular rail service to Kyoto. The Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo takes about 2½ hours.

HOTELS & RYOKANS Four Seasons Centered around an 800-year-old ikeniwa (pond garden), the property is a tranquil oasis, with 123 light-filled guest rooms and suites, a teahouse and a large spa. fourseasons.com; doubles from ¥72,900.

44

Hoshinoya A restored, century-old riverside villa in Arashiyama with woodblock-print designs, shoji sliding doors and tatami mats. Guests can see cherry blossoms from their rooms. hoshino resorts.com; doubles from ¥139,396.

The Ritz-Carlton A luxury property known for its standout service and sleek rooms; request one with a river view. ritzcarlton.com; doubles from ¥76,734.

Tawaraya This is arguably the best ryokan

in Kyoto (if not all of Japan). The traditional rooms overlook private gardens; kaiseki dinners are served en suite. 278 Nakahakusancho; 81-75/ 211-5566; doubles from ¥84,525, including dinner.

RESTAURANTS & BARS Honke Owariya Head here for some of the finest soba noodles in town. They are made of buckwheat flour from Hokkaido and boiled to order before being placed in a tasty broth made with

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

dried seaweed. honkeowariya.co.jp; mains ¥800–¥3,000.

Renrakusen If you’re looking for a quality steak, this restaurant specializes in high-grade Ohmi beef. The cuts are so tender, you won’t even need a knife. 105 Nakajimacho; 81-75/2414358; mains ¥8,500– ¥11,000.

Yoramu A trip to Japan wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a sake bar. This one, located on Nijo Dori, is intimate (the bar seats up to nine

people) and has an extensive list. sakebaryoramu.com.

SIGHTS Fushimi Inari Shrine The thousands of torii at this Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto are painted bright vermillion, said to protect against evil forces. inari.jp.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove A 15-minute train ride away, this 500-meter path makes a tranquil day trip. Arashiyama Higashi-Ichikawa-Cho; 81-75/222-4130.

/ the dish /

A Taste of the Unexpected At his first international restaurant now open in Singapore, acclaimed Australian chef Clayton Wells plates unconventional flavor combinations with smart, confident style.

clockwise from top left: Kingfish tartare is topped with fresh plum; chef Clayton Wells; an old Chinatown shophouse with a new-look interior; charred octopus.

46

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

>>

c o u rt esy o f b l ac k wat t l e ( 4 )

By Mavis Teo

JOIN US AT THE EDGE OF PARADISE A warm breeze. White sand. The perfect moment.

Relax and reconnect with loved ones (and yourself) at any of our 15 truly exceptional resorts in Asia PaciďŹ c, the Middle East and Europe. No matter where you choose, Four Seasons will craft the perfect getaway for you.

Find out more at: fourseasons.com/relaxation-rediscovered Bali

Chiang Mai

Dubai

French Riviera

Golden Triangle, Thailand

Hawaii

Hoi An, Vietnam

Koh Samui

Langkawi

Maldives

Mauritius

Seychelles

/ the dish / over when I saw grilled octopus on the tasting menu at Blackwattle, the latest fine dining restaurant to open in Singapore. Though a safe bet with the seafood-loving populace, the mollusk has become rather predictable for a jaded foodie, especially on the table of yet another modern Australian restaurant. But under executive chef and co-owner Clayton Wells, the tender octopus tossed in a piquant red vinegar and XO sauce tastes anything but tired. Wells, one of Australia’s hottest chefs and owner of awardwinning Automata in Sydney, specializes in surprising the palate.

For Wells, who has experience in the refined kitchens of Momofuku Seiobo and Tetsuya’s, as well as Copenhagen’s two–Michelin starred Noma, experimentation and unpredictability have become his signature style. The chef swaps the dishes on Automata’s menu every week, and the same is in store for Blackwattle, which effortlessly blends an Australian-style menu with Singaporean ingredients and influences. “My memories of the tastes I’ve experienced in dishes I’ve cooked or eaten are what inspire me,” says Wells, referring to a dish of XO-glazed clams from Sydney’s cult favorite Golden Century Seafood Restaurant as the inspiration behind his octopus recipe.

“Some influences are hardly noticeable to diners.

The white pepper broth in a dish of king crab with braised pumpkin seeds is inspired by the peppery Singapore pork rib soup bak kut teh,” Wells says, familiar with the city-state and its cuisine. Singapore is the homeground of his business partner in the two eateries, hotelier and restaurateur Loh Lik Peng, who he met at London-restaurant Viajante in 2010.

When Loh chanced upon a space for lease—an old shophouse on Amoy Street in Chinatown—Wells jumped at the chance to create a sister spot for Automata. Designed by Singaporean firm Akira Kita Architecture, the moody space is bound by sleek dark walls and bottle-green leather banquettes, while the second level houses a chic-yet-casual bar with its own gourmet snack menu.

Back downstairs, I’m served the restaurant’s main dish on the tasting menu: beef short rib. In line with Wells’s flair for pairing strange bedfellows, the beef is served with a burnt carrot and kelp puree and a dill-pickled cucumber. The charred carrot cuts the fat, while the umami of the kelp enhances the robust flavor of the beef. Wood ear mushrooms add contrasting crunch to the meat’s melting tenderness.

Since the ethos of both his establishments is similar, what sets Blackwattle apart is its ingredients. Since arriving in Singapore (Wells is set to travel at least once a month from Sydney while his former sous chef at Automata, Joeri Timmermans,

I didn’t expect to be bowled

HERITAGE OF SERENITY

Escape to the peace and tranquility of Kamandalu Ubud, a 5-star boutique resort situated amid lush paddyfields in the green hills of Ubud. From your very own Balinese-inspired villa, step out to enjoy the warm hospitality of our staff and explore the natural surroundings that lie just beyond.

Jalan Andong Banjar Nagi Ubud, Bali 80571 Indonesia T +62 361 975 825 reservation@kamandaluresort.com www.kamandaluresort.com

c o u rt esy o f b l ac k wat t l e ( 2 )

from top: The second-floor bar at Blackwattle; a rainbow of seasonal pickled vegetables.

holds the fort in Singapore), Wells has been trawling fresh markets for local ingredients. Tight-lipped, he mentions Indian gooseberries, sea snails and Chinese herbs to be featured in future dishes.

For now, I happily polish off dessert: a buttery pumpkin-seed sorbet served with, again, an unexpected sprinkle of tart, freeze-dried mandarin chips. “I just want to do fine dining in a casual and fun atmosphere,” he says. “Where people feel they can come any time, even if they don’t have a special occasion to celebrate.” With such a comforting end to a sophisticated dining experience, it seems Wells’s intentions have been more than met. blackwattle.com.sg; mains from S$28, five-course set menu from S$115.

/ style /

Local Gems

With a fresh take on traditional design, these three next-gen jewelry-makers from across Southeast Asia bypass the handicraft styles of earlier eras, instead shaping local treasures into wearable modern art. By Eloise Basuki

50

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Flitting between Hoi An and Milan has imbued Nga Duong’s jewelry line with an East-meetsWest sense of design. “I first came to Milan in 2002, to start my studies at Istituto Europeo di Design,” she says from her home in Italy. “People here have great passion in life and in creativity.

Its breathtaking landscapes, Vietnam architecture and art are great Nga Duong sources of inspiration.” When Duong Jewelry + her father opened GAM (gamObjects, Hoi An hoian.com), a museum containing 600 pieces of the rare gems he’s collected throughout Vietnam over the past 30 years, Duong temporarily returned to Hoi An to not just support his endeavor, but also to set up shop with her new line, Duong Jewelry + Objects, utilizing her father’s precious goods.

“Spinel has a very special connection to me.

I love their spectrum of colors: red like rubies, blue like sapphire,” Duong says. “I can see their beauty even if they are not cut perfectly.” Visit GAM’s converted shophouse on the Thu Bon River for a glass of wine while browsing Duong’s one-of-a-kind sparklers. Or, her range can also can be found at resort boutiques such as Amanoi in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam, and The Chedi Muscat Hotel in Oman. duongprecious.com.

c l o c k w i s e fr o m t o p l e f t: c o u r t e s y o f d u o n g j e w e l r y + o b j e c t s ; c o u r t e s y o f m e ta l s t u d i o ; c o u r t e s y o f g a r d e n o f d e s i r e ( 2 ) ; T h o m a s P i c k a r d ; c o u r t e s y o f m e ta l s t u d i o ( 2 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f d u o n g j e w e l r y + o b j e c t s ( 2 )

Duong’s Mirror Mirror ring and Abstract ring. below: The Rugiada Cuff.

A selection of Chappell’s laborodite pieces. below: Hand-cut gold rings.

Pisith’s Blues earrings. below: Grey sandstone earrings from his Khmer collection.

The culturally rich hills of Northern Thailand serving as her muse, jewelry designer Boom Chappell’s singular pieces are a subtle nod to the generations of traditional Chiang Mai silversmiths and crafters before her. “Many of the design elements I take inspiration from are hidden within craft work— Thailand the woven texture of a bamboo Boom Chappell basket or the small details around Metal Studio, temple doors,” Chappell says.

Chiang Mai Although her designs are often classed as modern and industrial, Chappell still uses the hand-held antique tools she trained with. “Most people use electric wire-pullers now because they are faster and easier,” she says. “I have an electric one, but never use it; I just like the antique one better. I’m not mass-producing jewelry, so speed is not really important to me.” She also spends time handpicking the gems for her pieces, particularly rubies and free-cut sapphires from Chanthaburi, in Thailand’s east. Located in Chiang Mai’s coolest quarter, Nimmanhaemin, Chappell has opened a second spot in town, Monrasoom (monrasoom.com), a gallery-like space for local designers. metalstudiojewelry.com.

After escaping the Khmer Rouge as a child, Ly Pisith spent more than 30 years in France.

These formative years shaped his creative style today, with experience Cambodia designing for esteemed Parisian eyewear duo Ly Pisith Alain Mikli and Philippe Starck.

Garden of Desire, Siem Reap Returning home in 2008, Pisith began Garden of Desire, a jewelry line intrinsically linked to his Cambodian roots. “With the history and culture of my birthplace, there are endless possibilities [for inspiration],” Pisith says. Influenced by the intricate architecture that surrounds his Siem Reap studio, Pisith’s jewelry often embodies the regal shapes of ancient temples, Khmer motifs and the environment.

“I’m still working on my ‘branch’ series—forms of dried branches leftover from the hot season,” he says.

Favoring the vivid hues of tourmaline and labradorite, Pisith keeps his stones the star of his work, designing around their original form. “I want to keep them at their raw and most natural stage.” Pick up one of his prized pieces in the ancient capital or at his second shop in Phnom Penh. gardenofdesire-asia.com.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

51

/ discovery /

A Swiss Escape

>>

Lucerne and neighboring stops around its much-adored lake have undergone a revamp that revisits heady days when the region was an exclusive getaway. Story and photogr aphs by Christopher Kucway

>>

Dwarfed by Mount Titlis.

52

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

/ discovery / Along the Reuss River in Lucerne.

the new day, though the dense Swiss Alpine forest catches most of the rainfall before it splashes to the ground, the more dominant sounds being cowbells ringing from across a distant valley. I’m on a 90-minute walk along a cliff path that towers over the southern shores of Lake Lucerne, the finicky September sky playing autumnal tricks with the weather. As the trail zigzags its way through the coniferous forest, I’d hazard a guess that the scene has changed little in the past 150 years, aside from the reopened Burgenstock Resort where I’m staying. The hidden getaway still caters to elite travelers—I’m one of them, at least for a night—but has a pedigree that really comes to life on this short trek.

My goal before breakfast is simply to reach the Hammetschwand Lift, an outdoor elevator that dates back to 1905 and is hewn out of the rock face transporting its occupants another 153 meters up the cliff, but local lore quickly interrupts my journey. At the base of the forest trail sits a modest chapel where, back in 1954, none other

A slight drizzle welcomes

54

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

than Audrey Hepburn repeated her wedding vows of a day earlier. Rumor has it her driver couldn’t find the chapel she was searching for and ended up here.

Overworked and in need of some time out of the spotlight—Hepburn had filmed Roman Holiday and Sabrina in the previous 18 months, won an Oscar for the first role, as well as a Tony for her performance in Ondine—Burgenstock fit neatly into her life. In fact, she adored the seclusion so much that she made it her home for the next 12 years.

Today, steps away from the chapel, is a petite garden, now part of a Lebanese restaurant. This patch of land was once home to a cottage, some called it a villa, occupied by another of the setting’s admirers, Sophia Loren. Decades later, at the end of Hepburn’s life, Loren would recall the actress and, perhaps, what drew her to Burgenstock. “She walked among us with a light pace, as if she didn’t want to be noticed.” Even before the days of 24-hour updates, the rich and famous sought anonymity along these shores, and exclusivity was a key word.

Then, Burgenstock made an architectural effort to face away from the lake, as if turning its back to the curious world beyond. Today, thanks to extensive and healthy renovations, sweeping floor-to-ceiling views of the water and surrounding peaks are the norm. A glass extension to the main hotel even leans off the mountainside into the crisp air; views from the Lake View Lounge almost peer around every granite cliff and into every inlet the lake has to offer. Around the water, a series of reinvigorated stops now breathe new life into this private playground.

Off across the lake, past a bowl of fresh fruit and a bottle of local Pinot Noir in my room at the Palace Hotel at Burgenstock, and around a headland sits Lucerne. Its compact Old Town dates back to the early 1400s and, strolling around its narrow streets, it seems little has changed in that time. Addresses along the narrower lanes sport adjustable window shades that can angle away from a building to catch and reflect the sun’s rays indoors. At other points, the city has demolished whole structures to allow more natural light on its cobbled squares. You’ll spot old foundations delineated by different colored brick underfoot. But this is a town where pausing to look up is a must, and not just at the mountains on the horizon.

The façade of one apothecary taxes my high school Latin with the inscription amor medicabi lis nullis herbis, “there is no herb that can cure love.” I’m left to wonder if Hepburn ever laid eyes on it. Along the streets of Hirschenplatz and Weinmarktgasse, up above the recognizable retail and restaurants, are detailed frescoes that defy description. Scenes from the Bible—Lucerne

All the cobbled streets lead to water and a lunch cruise is the perfect opportunity to explore the lake A room with a lake view at Burgenstock.

A view from the Park Hotel Vitznau.

comes with a staunchly Catholic background—and tales of historic families and of ground guildhalls: symbolism and allusion abound.

Just as artistically rich is Museum Sammlung Rosengart, a private collection that starts with a healthy dose of Picassos. Thanks to Siegfried and Angela Rosengart’s friendship with the Spanish artist, Klee, Cezanne, Matisse, Modigliani and Chagall are also well represented. Lucerne’s own gem, its selfie-worthy Kapellbrucke, or Chapel Bridge, offers interior roof panels adorned with scenes from the town’s past. Dating to the 14th century, it now attracts visitors by the busload but was originally meant as a fortification to keep marauders away from the lake side of town. Steps away—well, in Lucerne, everything is—the Jesuit church dates back to the late 17th century, its Baroque interior celebrating St. Francis Xavier. Between it and the 13th century Franciscan church around the corner, some road works have slowed somewhat with an archaeological find; Lucerne is still uncovering what makes this area special.

All cobbled streets here lead to water, either to the Reuss River or the lake, and a lunch cruise remains the perfect opportunity to explore all the fingers of water tucked into the mountains. Restored steamers ply the lake, reflecting a more romantic era, only adding to the sense that we’re in a different century, one where Wi-Fi is prevalent. Now, there’s even a boat to ferry guests to Burgenstock from Lucerne. village on Lake Lucerne—arriving in the quaint stop of Vitznau means yet another throwback in the air, a touch of a different decade, one where Hepburn and Loren would still fit right in. My stay for the night is at the Park Hotel Vitznau and, despite a downpour that starts just after arrival, it has all the hallmarks of a great getaway. Refurbished from the

A hop, skip and a sail to another

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

55

/ discovery / Pool with a view at Hotel Villa Honegg.

Lucerne is lined with elaborate frescoes.

glass-ceiling champagne cellar to the array of suites several floors up, the Park Hotel dates back to 1903 but is a lesson in bright white interiors, offset by every shade of dried flower imaginable and a rainbow of Armagnac bottles. Each of the 47 suites has its own identity—you can and should review these on the hotel website before booking—while fine craftsmanship that I thought had vanished dominate every edge of the property.

To mark our final night, after a Michelin-star dinner of egg yolk with chicken ragout and delicate veal combined with seasonal vegetables at restaurant Prisma, three of us stop in the hotel’s Verlinde Bar for a nightcap. The bar boasts more than 250 labels of Armagnac, some dating back a century, though my knowledge of crafted brandy is limited. I later learn that a 14th-century cardinal, Vital du Four, wrote that Armagnac “enlivens the spirit, partaken in moderation, recalls the past to memory, renders men joyous, preserves youth and retards senility.” Recalling the past around this treasure of a lake? That alone would have been enough for a tipple, but which of the hundreds of labels to choose? The knowledgeable bartender suggests we each order a glass from the year we were born, and her suggestion is spot on. The warmth of the Armagnac sits well on this drizzly night within these reborn walls. It feels like what I imagine Audrey Hepburn’s era was like, not a bad place or time to be on Lake Lucerne.

The details GETTING THERE Direct flights to Zurich leave from Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok. From Zurich it’s just one-hour by train to Lucerne. The Swiss Travel Pass (swiss-pass. ch; three-day pass in first class CHF344) covers train, bus and boat fares, and admission to 500 museums for up to 15 days.

WHERE TO STAY Burgenstock Resort There are several options to book at this sweeping mountaintop resort, but consider the Burgenstock, with its Alpine Spa, or Palace hotels to start. buergenstock.ch; Burgenstock Hotel doubles from

56

CHF568; Palace Hotel doubles from CHF324.

Grand Hotel National With only 41 guestrooms, this 19th-century hotel is a throwback to another era. grandhotel-national.com; doubles from CHF261.

Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne About as central as you can get in Lucerne, the hotel names its 101 rooms and suites after former famous guests. schweizerhofluzern.ch; doubles from CHF299.

Hotel Villa Honegg Be sure to enjoy the wrap-around pool here for its unbeatable view more than 900 meters above the valley floor. villa-honegg.ch; doubles from CHF630.

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Park Hotel Vitznau This one-ofa-kind property boasts 47 suites, each with its own character. Dine with lake views at its Prisma restaurant. parkhotel-vitznau.ch; doubles from CHF750.

ACTIVITIES Christmas Market The 15th annual market is on daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. until December 20 on the lower level of the railway station. luzern.com.

Lucerne City Walk Between November and April, the tourist office offers two-hour walking tours that uncover Lucerne’s hidden gems. luzern.com/ citytours; tickets CHF18.

Mount Pilatus This steep cogwheel rail line grinds its way up to 2,132 meters. pilatus.ch/en; return tickets CHF72 per person.

Mount Titlis Any number of activities await above 3,000 meters at Mount Titlis, including a walk across a suspension bridge that itself is 550 meters above the ground or a slippery stroll through a glacial cave. titlis.ch/en; return tickets CHF92 per person.

Museum Sammlung Rosengart This private collection is the perfect opportunity to name drop any of the 21 Modernists here, including Picasso, Klee, Modigliani, Renoir, Chagall and Monet. rosengart.ch.

You’re INVITED is the only way to get into a world of instant benefits, available from your very first stay at any of our 500 hotels around the world. And the best thing?

The more you stay with us, the better it gets!

/ trending /

Peru, Five Ways

New opportunities to experience the Land of the Incas are taking travelers off the beaten path—and well beyond the country’s best-known treasure. BY JESS MCHUGH Machu Picchu might hog all the attention, but Peru has much more to offer visitors than a single destination: Lake Titicaca and the Pacific shores along the Pan-American Highway north of Lima make for tranquil beach getaways; the capital’s food and wine scene is one of the best in South America; and attractions like the Nazca Lines and the Paracas National Reserve provide alternatives for visitors who have already explored Machu Picchu. Peruvian tourism is booming—this year, a record 3.8 million international visitors are expected—and the travel industry has responded with new itineraries and infrastructure to satisfy those hungry for more immersive ways of experiencing the country. Here are five new trips worth taking. >>

c o u rt esy o f b e l m o n d

Mountain vistas aboard the Andean Explorer.

58

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

/ trending / than US$6—though with views this extraordinary, you’ll wish the ride were twice as long. telecabinaskuelap.com; T+L A-List agent Gisela Polo is knowledgeable about the area: gisela@big five.com.

An Epic Train Ride Through the Andes The Andean Explorer is the first

A River Cruise in the Amazon Basin

After refurbishing its Aria Amazon ship two years ago, Aqua Expeditions has debuted special-interest departures. For eco-conscious travelers, naturalist Jean-Michel Cousteau hosts a limited-run series of conservation cruises, with lectures, excursions, and video

A Countrywide HaciendaHopping Tour

workshops. Food lovers can sign up for culinary expeditions with Pedro Miguel Schiaffano, chef at Lima’s Malabar, which include market tours and cooking classes. And next year the brand plans to introduce wellness-driven itineraries on the Amazon. aquaexpeditions.com; three-night trips from US$3,645.

A Cable Car to Remote Northern Ruins

On the edge of the Peruvian Amazon, the pre-Inca city of Kuélap is nearly three times as old as Machu Picchu and covers a much larger area—it’s the biggest stone ruin in the Americas. But until this year, the site could be reached only via a four-hour hike or a harrowing two-hour road trip. That all changed in January, with the much-awaited unveiling of a new gondola system from the village of Nuevo Tingo. Visitors can now reach the site in 20 minutes for less

from top: A cable

car at Kuélap makes the ruins more accessible; Paso horses at one of Aracari’s private homes; intimate river views on board the Aria Amazon.

60

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Boutique tour operator Aracari recently launched its Private Homes of Peru collection and tour, featuring encounters with notable locals— among them artists, collectors, farmers, and Paso horse trainers— and exclusive stays at haciendas and private residences across the country.

A highlight is Tacama Winery, the oldest vineyard in South America, where guests can sample wine and pisco on the 16th-century estate, then spend a night in the home of the vineyard’s proprietors. aracari.com; eight-day trips from US$6,940.

A Guided Trek in the Sacred Valley This year, Mountain Lodges of Peru

announced its longest journey yet, the 10-day Grand Andean Experience.

Combining elements of the outfitter’s Lares and Salkantay treks, the trip starts in the Quechua village of Pisaq and culminates in a sunrise ascent of Machu Picchu. En route, you’ll hike, bike, ride horses, meet locals, and bed down each night in well-appointed mountaintop retreats. mountainlodgesofperu.com; from US$4,700.

fr o m to p : M a n u e l M e d i r / L at i n C o n t e n t / G e t t y Im ag es ; c o u rt esy o f Ar aca r i ; c o u rt esy o f aq ua ex p e d i t i o n s

sleeper in South America and connects regions that have long been inaccessible by car. It combines the luxury of an upscale hotel with the nostalgic romance of long-distance train travel, complete with a piano bar, a soon-to-open spa car, and an observation deck for sipping pisco sours while absorbing the mountain views. Along the route—which stretches 734 kilometers from Arequipa, in southern Peru, to Cuzco—guests can experience a traditional reed-boat ride on Lake Titicaca, see the 8,000-year-old cave paintings of Sumbay, or stop by the ruins of Raqchi. belmond.com; two-night trips from US$1,405.

GRAND COPTHORNE WATERFRONT HOTEL 392 Havelock Road, Singapore 169663 T +65 6733 0880 E enquiry.gcw@millenniumhotels.com W www.grandcopthorne.com.sg or www.celebrateatgcw.com

For enquiries, please call +65 6233 1390 or email sales.gcw@millenniumhotels.com.

It doesn’t just happen in the movies.

ELEGANCE • MODERNITY • EXTRAVAGANCE

/ explore /

A Land Outside Time Renowned paleontologist Louise Leakey leads journeys into an otherworldly part of northern Kenya, where some of the oldest human fossils have been found. By Michele Jana Chan

As the helicopter rose over a ridge, I caught my first glimpse of Lake Turkana, a breathtaking skyblue crescent in the desert of northern Kenya. Nomadic fishermen still make camp on spits of land that reach into its alkaline waters, which fill a basin formed more than 4 million years ago. Brightly colored mineral pools dot the shores of the lake. Little volcanoes poke through its reflective surface, including one, known as Central Island, that is still active on occasion. A smaller lake inside the crater is home to thousands of flamingos.

Thanks to Lake Turkana’s rich fossil record, it is one of the world’s great laboratories for the study of

62

human origins. I had come with Louise Leakey, a paleontologist from a family of scientists who have worked on the banks of the lake for nearly half a century. To raise awareness and funds to support her research, Leakey has teamed up with the Safari Collection, a tour operator, to guide the Lake Turkana portion of a five-night itinerary that also includes helicopter tours, wildlife encounters and luxury lodge stays.

After landing, we strolled by the lake, passing several archaeological digs in progress. I spotted a sinewy fisherwoman cleaning a tilapia she had just caught. She was from the El Molo, an ethnic group that has resided in this part of Kenya for

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

thousands of years. As she raised a sharp rock to tear open the belly of the fish, we made eye contact. For just a moment I felt like I was one with the slipstream of history. Then she looked away, flipping offcuts to one side. Seagulls dove down to snatch up the guts.

Over the next few days, as Leakey showed me primitive tools and other artifacts, I understood Lake Turkana’s power: to remind us that we are but a blip in the lifespan of the planet. A journey here is a call to live zestfully and to stay curious about the world—even its most remote parts. thesafaricollection.com; fivenight trips from US$14,780 per person (four-person minimum).

R andy Olson/ge t t y images

Thousands of flamingos at Lake Turkana.

A O NCE -IN -A-L IFETIM E EXPERIENCE IN AN E X O TIC H AVEN Take your first step towards the romance of a lifetime at InterContinental® Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort, and immerse yourselves in a destination of untold beauty. Explore local culture, with our rich offering of activities or indulge in some well-earned privacy, in the undisturbed comfort of our exclusive alcove.

For more information or to make a reservations, please call Tel. +66 (0) 7742 9104 icsamui.rsvn@ihg.com or visit samui.intercontinental.com

COZUMEL MZAAR FUJAIRAH CHENNAI HUA HIN KOH SAMUI DANANG SANYA BALI OKINAWA SANCTUARY COVE

Live the InterContinental life.

/ wander /

Tuscany on Two Wheels The culinary pleasures of this iconic region somehow taste even better when you’re in the driver’s seat—of a scooter. By David Amsden Photogr aphs by Andrea W yner

Grilled octopus at Babazuf, in Siena.

As I pressed the ignition button on my white

The medieval town of Pietrasanta.

64

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Vespa, I found myself seized by panic. My heart beat like a jackhammer, and a faint tremor crept into my fingertips. Judging from the facial expressions of my girlfriend, Stephanie— raised eyebrows, pursed lips—it was clear that she, too, was battling jitters as she fired up her own Vespa, a contrasting cherry red.

What on earth had we gotten ourselves into?

We were in a parking garage on the outskirts of Florence, readying ourselves for a six-day road trip in search of the sort of divine culinary experiences Tuscany is so famous for. Zipping from town to town, from enoteca to trattoria, we would sample the gooiest stracciatella, the boldest Brunellos, the lardiest lardo. In other words, we would do what everyone comes here to do—be gluttons—but the Vespas would lend an air of spontaneity to our travels. No set departure times, no prebooked hotels. We’d ride until we felt like stopping, crashing at the most convenient, comfortable inns we could find.

Vespas, manufactured in the Tuscan city of Pontedera since 1946, offer an adrenalized and accessible way to absorb, rather than merely navigate, your surroundings—something I discovered nearly a decade ago when I rode one for the first time in Rome and became an immediate convert. To Americans accustomed to SUVs, crowded interstates and the notion that only leather-clad outlaws can travel on two wheels, the idea of using a scooter for a longer excursion might seem ludicrous. But mention it to a European and you’ll get a shrug and a grin—a bit goofy, sure, but perfectly >>

/ wander /

Cheese and charcuterie at Il Bacchino, in Massa Marittima.

Earlier, we’d visited Diversus simply because it was on the ground floor of our hotel and a glass of wine, any glass of wine, would be a godsend

The cathedral in Massa Marittima.

reasonable. Vespas are powerful enough to handle twisty back roads, less intimidating than motorcycles, and preposterously fuelefficient. What better way to infuse our journey with a dose of authenticity and adventure?

That, at least, was the fantasy. Reality, that stubborn scourge, intervened on our first morning with a tempestuous thunderstorm— the reason for our ragged nerves. Our departure was delayed by hours, throwing a wrench into the itinerary we had roughly sketched out with the help of Francesco Venzi, the amiable owner of Central Italy Motorcycle Tours, the local outfitter that had supplied us with the scooters. Though the rain eventually subsided, the roads were slick and the air was frosty as we crossed the Arno, making our way south into the storied hills of Tuscany.

Twenty minutes into our ride, it started to pour again. On the famous Via Chiantigiana,

66

with its corkscrew climbs through stands of cypress, I found it next to impossible to savor the open vistas. By the time we pulled into Greve in Chianti, the hub of the local wine industry, I was cursing myself for not having packed rain gear and again questioning our overall sanity. We came to a stop in the main square, a quaint, triangular plaza teeming with flower vendors, restaurants and tasting rooms. Though drenched and exhausted, Stephanie and I both were also grinning, the absurdity of the situation causing us to break into fits of laughter.

Our goal had been to end the day in Pienza, 2½ hours farther south. “Um, not happening,” Stephanie declared, reminding me that the point of this trip was to make it about the journey, not the destinations. Rather than see the rain as a hindrance, we opted to think of it as a kind of guide, one that at the moment was telling us to call it a day. We checked in and set out for some food and drink.

To the untrained eye, every restaurant in Tuscany looks more or less identical—making it a challenge to discern between those pandering to tourists and those committed to tradition. Our dinner that night was a bland, caloric bust, but another experience more than made up for it. Earlier in the evening, we’d visited Diversus, a nondescript wine bar and restaurant, simply because it was on the ground floor of our hotel and a glass of wine, any glass of wine, would be a godsend after our discombobulating day. As soon as we sat down, we were approached by an affable gentleman who introduced himself as Bernard Buys, the co-owner of the establishment as well as Le Muricce, a nearby vineyard.

“What sort of wines do you like?” he asked.

“Alcohol-forward?” I ventured. >>

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

/ wander / Either ignoring or failing to register my attempt at humor, Buys spent the next hour regaling us with stories. Belgian by birth, he discovered a love of wine in France and now lives in Tuscany during the harvest season. He spoke of picking grapes in a paternal tone bordering on the religious. All the while he poured us tastes from various bottles: a tart Sangiovese, a ruby-red Chianti Classico and a supple Merlot, each complemented by plates of exquisite cured meats and cheeses. By the time we ambled back out onto the square, our day’s misadventures had become a distant memory.

The next morning, we rode southwest toward the seaside province of Grosseto, an area long popular with Europeans but still largely undiscovered by Americans. Not that we were trying to be

As we rode onward, hills and woodlands opened up to a glittering coastline Cypress-lined hills near the town of Panzano, in Chianti.

0

pioneers. Grosseto promised clear skies, so that’s why we picked it. Any doubts I had about the Vespas were obliterated as we zigzagged through vineyards, forests and cliff-side villages where wizened old Italians waved at us.

As I felt the intoxicating sense of freedom and a visceral communion with the landscape, I realized you simply can’t experience a destination the same way from the hermetic womb of an automobile.

We stopped for lunch in the medieval city of Siena, where our Vespas easily navigated the catacomb-like streets, and pulled up right in front of a thimble-size trattoria called Babazuf.

We’d chosen it via the indispensable mobile app of Osterie d’Italia, an annual guide that highlights largely traditional restaurants that adhere to Slow Food philosophies. We could hardly say a word, reduced to monosyllabic grunts by a spread that included a delicate eggplant tart; weightless, multicolored gnocchi improbably dense with flavor; and a hearty, intricately spiced lamb stew.

As we rode onward, hills and woodlands open­ed up to verdant flats, a glittering coastline, and, eventually, Castiglione della Pescaia, a Mediterranean town surrounding a historic harbor. We stayed at Riva del Sole, a lovely full-service resort where we drank prosecco on the beach as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the wispy clouds with brushstrokes of lavender and tangerine. After scootering our way into the town center, we dined at La Fortezza, a tavern tucked in an ancient fortified wall. I’d never thought much about seafood being part of Tuscan cuisine, but after devouring the restaurant’s signature dish—a gigantic platter of freshly caught lobster served on a bed of handmade tagliolini—I will now. >>

80

KILOMETERS

LUCCA FLORENCE VOLTERRA

CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA

Ligurian Sea

68

Renting and riding a Vespa 101

1 / find a local outfitter

Florence-based Central Italy Motorcycle Tours (cimt.it) will map out a manageable route; a rental costs €190 to €300 per week.

Novices can do this trip, though it’s smart to take a practice spin (or two) at home.

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

2 / Pack Light

A carry-on-size duffel is the way to go, since it can rest comfortably between your feet while riding. A small satchel with valuables can be stowed in the lockable compartment under the seat.

3 / drive safe

On country roads, you are subject to the same rules as cars, but in some towns and cities you can take a Vespa onto streets that are off-limits to automobiles.

Parking is a cinch: as long as you’re not blocking traffic, you’re good.

4 / dress right

A jacket, ideally waterproof, is a must for protection and warmth; ditto a pair of long pants and leather gloves.

A pair of earbuds will help block out wind noise (though by law you can cover only one ear).

nses Feas t for th e Se

Dec or Fes ti v e

Gas tr on om y a nd C h ristm as Mel ody

ESCAPE TO AN URBAN OASIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND ENJOY ENCHANTING CELEBRATION. INDULGE IN A SUMPTUOUS FEAST, CAPTURE THE FESTIVE SPIRIT AND EXPERIENCE A SENSORY RESPITE AT SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA MANILA

/ wander / Over the next few days we rode north, navigating our way through fields of red poppies, taking tight switchbacks through classic hilltop towns like Volterra, and finally reaching Lucca, which we used as a base for the next two days. Having become comfortable with the scooters, we pushed the motors with a ride into the steep Apuan Alps, where we skirted high peaks and dozens of marble quarries before making our way down the mountains and into Pietrasanta, an artsy coastal town. There, on the advice of a local, we slipped into a café called Libero for lunch. At this modern take on a traditional trattoria, we made a meal out of various small plates: steak tartare, Camembert crostini, a heaping platter of various crudi. A buffet of the simplest flavors had been mysteriously elevated, in what we’d come to see as the trademark of Tuscan cooking, to high art. Before we knew it, we were the only ones there, unaware that the restaurant had closed an hour earlier. The owner didn’t seem to mind. After we’d paid the bill, he poured us two glasses of grappa and treated us to an impromptu seminar on Tuscan olive oils. We learned why olives must be pressed soon after harvest (to avoid oxidation), why the oil is bottled in dark bottles (to keep sunlight out), and how, as with wine, you wanted to use light, silky olive oils for fish and spicy, throat-scratching varieties for meats.

The following day, we’d be heading back to Florence, but for the moment that seemed like an eternity away. Leaving the restaurant, the sun was still shining, the Vespas beckoning.

“Where to next?” Stephanie asked.

“Who knows?” I replied.

Siena’s Palazzo del Campo.

70

Lunchtime at La BotteGaia, in Pistoia.

eating your way through

Tuscany

The writer consulted the mobile app of Osterie d’Italia, an annual guide produced by Slow Food Editore that highlights off-the-radar taverns across Italy. Though it’s all in Italian, the interface is easy and the selections spot-on. Pick a place at random and spend the day scooting there—you won’t be disappointed.

1 / Babazuf Tucked

3 / Diversus At this

2 / Il Bacchino Don’t bother reading the menu at this tiny enoteca in Massa Marittima. Just ask the owners to bring you their best local cheeses and cured meats. 8 Via Moncini; 39-566/940-229; small plates €3–€10.

4 / La BotteGaia This osteria in Pistoia serves flavorful, hearty dishes like duck macaroni and artichoke tart in Parmesan sauce. Try the lardo, sliced paper-thin and illicit with flavor. labottegaia.it; mains €9–€14.

away on a street near Siena’s central plaza, this osteria is famous for its delicate house-made pastas—particularly the five-colored gnocchi and tagliatelle with black truffles. osteriababazuf. com; mains €7–€18.

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

warm and friendly spot on the central plaza in Greve in Chianti, owner Bernard Buys pairs his vast selection of Tuscan wines with exquisite cured meats. diversusrestaurant.it; mains €10–€19.

5 / la fortezza

Seafood takes center stage at this trattoria built into the ancient fortified wall that once protected Castiglione della Pescaia. The signature lobster over tagliolini is a must. lafortezzacdp.it; mains €12–€39.

6 / libero With a menu

heavy on the freshest of local ingredients and small plates (platters of crudi, various crostini), this restaurant embodies the relaxed, creative spirit of Pietrasanta. 16 Via Stagi Stagio; 39584/790-452; mains €8–€16.

SPONSORED SERIES

Festive Shores AYANA RESORT AND SPA, BALI & RIMBA JIMBARAN BALI BY AYANA HAVE THE BEST HOLIDAY HASHTAG AROUND WE CAN’T THINK OF A WARMER WAY TO GREET

the holidays than at the lush, luxury playground that is AYANA Resort and Spa, The Villas at AYANA, and RIMBA Jimbaran Bali.

And they’ve put together a sparkling #FestiveSeaSun Escape three-night package that’s just waiting for you to unwrap.

The 90-hectare fully integrated resort rolls down from the hilltop forest to the white-sand beach that’s home to the brandnew Kubu Beach Club. And with 12 fantastic pools, 19 restaurants and bars, two spas, their own pair of lovely white horses, an ecofriendly monkey-feeding program, and places to slide, stroll, sip and sun galore... Well, let’s just say it’s a winterless wonderland!

You’ll be saying “Ho Ho Ho” before you add in all the holiday excitement they’ve got lined up. It kicks off December 9 with a fruit-soaking class for traditional Christmas cakes, afternoon tea, games for kids and a magical tree-lighting ceremony at RIMBA that brings Santa on his sleigh, carolers and eggnog. On Christmas Eve, a cake and wine party by the tree whets your palate for the slew of special menus that deluge the restaurants December 24, 25, 30 and 31 with everything from drool-worthy variations on

lobster and Wagyu to a traditional juicy turkey dinner. There are parties aplenty to ring out the old year and welcome the new, at Bali’s biggest hotspot, the iconic Rock Bar; at the rooftop fiesta that is UNIQUE restaurant and pool bar; and smack in the center of AYANA, where Haley Teal from Australia’s X-Factor and Dancing with the Stars will headline a glamorous New Year’s Eve shindig.

Whether you stay in a skyhigh room at RIMBA or a privatepool villa, the #FestiveSeaSun Escape bundles up more goodies than Santa. The big reveal is a two-hour treatment for two in AYANA Spa’s award-winning Aquatonic Therapy Pool—the ultimate gift of relaxation for body and mind. Among other pressies, you also get a US$70 dining voucher for use throughout the resort, and priority access with reserved sunset seating at Rock Bar. You’ve been nice this year. Time to get into the spirit of the SeaSun! The #FestiveSeaSun Escape package available December 1, 2017, through January 5, 2018 (except December 29 through January 2). Rates from US$255++ per night at Rimba, US$325++ per night at Ayana, and US$730++ per night at The Villas, all with three-night minimum. To book and for more information, visit ayana.com.

YOUR SWEET STOPOVER IN HONG KONG

Shop 343, 3rd Floor, Prince’s Building, Central.

Hong Kong Tel: +852 2555 3411

c o u rt esy o f t h e M yst D o n g K h o i

A lobby with charm at The Myst Dong Khoi, Saigon.

The Best of

2017

Whether they were long anticipated or a welcome surprise, this year’s best new openings take contemporary dining, boutique shopping and luxury travel to innovative new heights.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

73

South Korea

Skywalk

The elevated walkway comes alive at night.

74

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

c o u rt esy o f ko r e a to u r i s m o r ga n i z at i o n

Seoullo7017 The transformation of an old Seoul overpass into a vibrant sky-high walkway has helped connect the east of the city to the west, previously cut off by the Seoul Station railway tracks. Named Seoullo7017, the Highline-like path draws visitors not just out of convenience, but also with its 24,000 plants that line the one-kilometer strip, stylish Korean restaurants and cafés, a pocket-sized gallery, daily live music and kids’ entertainment. seoullo7017.seoul.go.kr.

/ the best of 2017 /

EAT

fr o m to p : c o u rt esy o f h a ku ; c o u rt esy o f n e w p u n ja b c lu b ; c o u rt esy o f k e rry h ot e l . i n s e t : c o u rt esy o f e m p loy e es o n ly

Happy Paradise Her Chinese-style “burgers” at first restaurant, Little Bao, were a big hit, and many have been hoping for a larger restaurant for May Chow, named Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2017, to really spread her creative culinary wings. The answer to those prayers is Happy Paradise, a modern Chinese bistro with spectacular takes on Cantonese classics, such as slow-cooked chicken with Shaoxing wine, and braised pomelo skin with black sesame. Don’t miss the cocktails either—they’re all inspired by Hong Kong flavors like soy sauce, jasmine tea and hung yen cha, an almond dessert soup. happyparadise.hk; dinner for two from HK$600.

from top:

hong kong

Haku’s tuna and beef tartare; the gin trolley at New Punjab Club; Kerry Hotel’s Red Sugar bar. Inset: A Manhattan at Employees Only.

Haku Hong Kongers are no stranger to sushi restaurants, but are less familiar with another style of Japanese fine-dining: kappo. Both cuisines feature chefs cooking in front of the customer, but kappo offers a broader range of dishes, including cooked ones. Offering this style of cuisine, Haku is a collaboration between locally acclaimed chef Agustin Balbi and Hideaki Matsuo, of three–Michelin starred Kashiwaya in Osaka. While definitely Japanese in style, Balbi’s French-Japanese training comes into play in dishes like chutoro tuna and Polmard beef tartare topped with caviar. haku.com.hk; dinner for two from HK$1,000.

New Punjab Club Despite its significant Indian population, Hong Kong doesn’t represent Indian cuisine very well, but changing that is New Punjab Club, a restaurant focused on its namesake state. The nostalgic interiors—colonial touches with distinctly Indian art—pay tribute to The Punjab Club, a social club

in Lahore where co-founder Syed Asim Hussain has fond memories. Hussain has restored tandoors from his father’s former restaurant, and chef Palash Mitra, once head chef at London’s Michelin-starred Gymkhana, puts them to good use with dishes like juicy tandoori machili: spiced cobia with tomato chutney. newpunjabclub. com; dinner for two from HK$450.

DRINK

Employees Only Once a hidden speakeasy for those in the know, Employees Only now boasts three global outlets: the New York original, Singapore and now Hong Kong. Nestled in the middle of Lan Kwai Fong, ground zero for lessthan-savory bars, getting to EO is part of the fun. It’s living up to the hype of being a must-visit on the late-night circuit, and is already known for its dangerously generous pours. Thankfully, they can all be washed down with a substantial food menu—think bone marrow poppers and hot smoked salmon. employeesonlyhk.com; drinks for two from HK$300.

The Old Man Ernest Hemingway is known for his fondness for the bottle, but at The Old Man, a diminutive basement bar in SoHo, you won’t find any mojitos, his alleged favorite drink. The bar’s owners, including mixologist Agung Prabowo, who has managed the bars at two of Hong Kong’s top hotels, say Hemingway didn’t like drinks with sugar. Instead, Prabowo serves the classic sugar-free Hemingway daiquiri, as well as cocktails based on Hemingway’s writings. The love letters to his first wife are the inspiration behind Little Wax Puppy, a drink made with beeswax-infused bourbon. theoldmanhk. com; drinks for two from HK$180.

STAY

Kerry Hotel Hong Kong’s postcardperfect harbor is best viewed from Kowloon side, and Kerry Hotel is perched right on the waterfront in Hung Hom, an otherwise quiet district. Designed by local starchitect André Fu, rooms are spacious and more than half feature ocean views. The jewel of the hotel’s crown is undoubtedly the bar, Red Sugar, which offers an alfresco terrace surrounded by water, with a 270-degree panorama of the harbor. shangri-la.com; doubles from HK$2,090. — janice leung hayes

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

75

/ the best of 2017 /

MALAYSIA

EAT

Teels Heritage Cafe Legendary 160-year-old Penang biscuit makers Ghee Hiang opened their first café this year just above their Burmah Road shop. The sophisticated eatery has four nostalgically bedecked dining rooms and serves an elegant British-Malay menu that mixes Eastern and Western ingredients. Try the “stevedore soy chicken stew,” infused with Ghee Hiang’s signature aromatic sesame oil, or an afternoon tea set including their traditional biscuits and phong pneah pastries. fb.com/teelscafe; dinner for two from RM70.

Nero Nero With a garden terrace and a fountain centerpiece, this self-proclaimed Californian-Italian restaurant brings distinction to Kuala Lumpur’s Damansara City Mall, in the heart of the well-to-do neighborhood. Hailing from Piedmont and with experience cooking in Michelinstarred kitchens, executive chef Domenico Nicolino oversees a seasonal menu ranging from pizzas and pastas to more elaborate dishes, such as oven-baked whole sea bass, or ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese and tender oxtail. neronero-dc3.com; dinner for two from RM80.

DRINK

Magazine 63 Penang’s first speakeasy cocktail bar has a few tricks to make an impeccable first impression. First, the

76

surprise effect: tucked behind a wooden partition inside an unpolished shophouse on Magazine Road, the bar is hard to find.

Second, the wow factor: it’s a decadent yet classy throwback to 19th-centuryChina, with paper umbrellas and hanging lanterns adding a decorative glow. Waiters dressed like old-Asia coolies shuttle around the tables, and spirits are served in rice jars and drinking bowls. Every night, live bands and DJs spin the time machine back to the noughties. Book ahead. fb.com/ magazineM63; drinks for two from RM60.

STAY

The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi The latest pearl on the Andaman Sea is a grand, village-like collection of 90 luxurious suites, 29 pool villas and a stunning spa set around four restaurants, two oceanfront pools, and two wedding reception venues.

The idyllic nature of Pantai Kok Beach, one of Langkawi’s less developed coves, adds one last irresistible ingredient to this soulstirring seaside cocktail. ritzcarlton.com; doubles from RM1,725.

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Bedrock Hotel Ipoh’s new kid on the boutique-hotel block sacrifices room numbers in favor of space and comfort.

Painted in dark hues, the 10 rooms are spacious and comfortable, equipped with coffee machines and filtered water dispensers, and fitted with attractive bathtubs that lure guests into forgetting there’s one of Malaysia’s best food scenes to explore just outside. The neutral fittings pair perfectly with the owner’s collection of Chinese scholars’ rocks exhibited on the premises—a Zen-like match. fb.com/ bedrockhotelipoh; doubles from RM210.

Element Hotel Kuala Lumpur Dominating the capital’s skyline, this eco-friendly hotel is the tallest in Kuala Lumpur. Set in the 275-meter-high Ilham Towers, and just a 10-minute walk away from Suria KLCC shopping center and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Element Hotel packs a series of woodenfloor rooms and family apartments with bird’s-eye views that stretch well beyond Kuala Lumpur’s urban limits. Free bicycle rental and a delightful indoor infinity pool overlooking the business district are nice touches, not forgetting Trace Restaurant, the city’s latest Western-fusion sky-dining option, impressively perched on the 40th floor. elementkualalumpur.com; doubles from RM339. — Marco Ferr arese

fr o m l e f t : K i t Y e n g c h a n ; c o u rt esy o f R i t z - Ca r lto n L a n g k aw i ; c o u rt esy o f n e r o n e r o. i n s e t : K i t Y e n g c h a n

from top left: The dining room at Teels Heritage Cafe embraces the past; a private pool villa at The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi; pizzas the Neapolitan way at Nero Nero. inset: Drinks by the bowl at Magazine 63.

Taiwan

Restaurant

c o u rt esy o f JL St u d i o

JL Studio Led by Singapore chef Jimmy Lim, this Taichung restaurant serves up a modern Singaporean menu using Taiwanese ingredients in an elegant, fine-dining setting. With Lim’s experience cooking in the renowned kitchens of Noma and Geranium in Copenhagen, and restaurants in New York and Napa Valley, expect a creative interpretation of his homeland’s cuisine (chili crab, nasi lemak and the Peranakan pastry kueh pie tee, for example) that changes as local ingredients become available. fb.com/ jlstudiotaiwan; set menu from NT$2,800 per person.

Jimmy Lim at JL Studio.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

77

/ the best of 2017 /

EAT & DRINK

Violet Oon Satay Bar & Grill Nearing 70, Violet Oon has kept three generations of Singaporeans happily fed on a homey mix of Peranakan cuisine, best-selling cookbooks, and her unerring instinct for nostalgic comfort food. Her third restaurant in Clarke Quay offers a, by now, familiar patina of romantic colonialism by way of mosaic floors, bentwood chairs, marble tables, antique lamps and rattan-blade fans. The star attraction, however, is the titular satay of tenderloin pork and Angus beef, cooked to smoky perfection on a charcoal grill. violetoon.com; dinner for two from S$70.

Catchfly Like jealous magpies, Singaporeans like their bars to be hidden away, the more inconspicuous the better.

Case in point is this bolthole in the basement of the Coriander Leaf restaurant on Ann Siang Road. The narrow space is flanked with up-lit brick walls and gold strips in the wooden floor that direct the eye towards the bijou bar where cocktails laced with small-batch spirits, smoked oils, and herbs are poured. The snacks menu, including kimchi beef chili, and lamb corn dogs, more than holds its own against

78

SINGAPORE

the bar’s sophisticated repertoire. catchfly. sg; drinks for two from S$50.

STAY

Andaz Singapore With visionary architect Ole Scheeren’s sparkling shell of polygons and curvaceous silhouette, and wunderkind designer André Fu’s impeccable interiors, Andaz offers a fresh perspective on Marina Bay. The hotel’s 342 rooms are clad in Malay and Indian motifs, an homage to its location in Singapore’s Bugis and Kampong Glam quarters, the latter captured as a particularly vivid panorama through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Even better views are to be had from the 25th-floor outdoor pool, and the 39th-floor rooftop bar, Mr Storck. andazsingapore.com; doubles from S$390.

InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay The arrival of the InterContinental’s second property in Singapore puts a definitive stamp on the rejuvenation of Robertson Quay. Opened across from stylishly low-slung The Warehouse Hotel, also a 2017 debut, the 225-room InterContinental looms over the neighborhood of period shophouses, godowns and low-rise condos. Contrasting the glass curtain walls of the shimmering façade is a moody interior swathed with brushed oak, copper and black granite.

The best rooms, meanwhile, overlook the river. robertsonquay.intercontinental.com; doubles from S$285.

SHOP

Dover Street Market The opening of Dover Street Market has laid to rest any lingering doubts about Singapore’s title as a heavyweight shopping destination par excellence. After successful launches in London, Tokyo and New York, Commes des Garçon founder Rei Kawakubo opened her fourth multi-label boutique in a former army barrack in leafy Dempsey, filling the sprawling 1,140-square-meter space with a dizzying range of blue-chip and guerilla fashion marques including The Row, Celine, Raf Simons and Gucci. singapore. doverstreetmarket.com. —Daven Wu

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

fr o m to p : c o u rt esy o f D ov e r St r e e t M a r k e t ; c o u rt esy o f V i o l e t O o n Satay Ba r & Gr i l l ; c o u rt esy o f I n t e rC o n t i n e n ta l S i n ga p o r e R o b e rts o n Q uay. i n s e t : c o u rt esy o f catc h f ly

The Dempsey Cookhouse & Bar Acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s association with the Dempsey Cookhouse is so deliberately low-key, it’s possible to miss his name printed small on the bottom of this modAmerican menu. A vertical garden-wall behind the bar overlooks a high-ceilinged Hamptons-meets-the-tropics dining room, easily the prettiest in Singapore. The proof, though, is literally in the pudding—the restaurant’s bestseller is Vongerichten’s iconic chocolate lava cake. The molten ganache that oozes from the soft batter is every bit as good as its reputation. comodempsey.sg; dinner for two from S$70.

from top: Browse a limited edition Gucci range at Dover Street Market; a shareable spread at Violet Oon; the view from the InterContinental. Inset: Shrimp po-boy baguette, Catchfly.

ADVERTORIAL

Pamper, Savor and Indulge If you’re one who thinks the holidays are best spent pampering and indulging yourself and your loved ones, then look no further than the 634-room, centrally located JW Marriott Singapore South Beach. The hotel combines all things modern with state-of-the-art comfort to make every stay memorable.

To help celebrate the holidays, guests can take advantage of a weekend Champagne Brunch package until the end of March. Aside from designer accommodation, the package includes a sumptuous Champagne Sunday Brunch for two at Beach Road Kitchen, complimentary Wi-Fi, access to the fitness center and hotel’s two sky pools and late check-out until 4pm when available. With a new multisensory SPA by JW, the aim is to calm, indulge, invigorate and renew.

There’s even a Christmas spa package, where booking any

three treatments means a 30 percent discount, which just might be the best present of all.

And, as a countdown to 2018, don’t miss out on the spectacular views from the hotel as Singapore welcomes in the new year. Stays for two include breakfast and free Internet access, as well as the best seat in Singapore for the fireworks welcoming in the new year.

JW MARRIOTT SINGAPORE SOUTH BEACH

30 Beach Road, Singapore jw.sinjw.contactus@marriott.com; (65) 6818 1888; jwmarriottsingapore.com

/ the best of 2017 /

Hong Sa Bar A 90-minute drive north of Brisbane, the town of Yandina is known for two things: the Buderim Ginger Factory and Spirit House, the latter being one of Queensland’s premiere Asian restaurants.

In July, Spirit House added Hong Sa Bar— a new stand-alone venue that combines a Inset: Spicy wok-tossed

AUSTRALIA

80

mussels at Chin Chin. from left: The Chin Chin dining room; boutique offerings at The New Trend; among the vines at Jackalope.

STAY

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour Sydney’s first newly constructed five-star hotel in 18 years opened in October to sparkling views of the city’s waterfront.

The 35-story, 590-room Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour was discernibly built to target business from the newly-opened International Conventional Centre next door, but leisure travelers will also be drawn to the Sofitel’s prime location, sleek rooftop infinity pool, fitness center and champagne bar—all of which provide a panoramic outlook of the city skyline and harbor. sofitelsydneydarlingharbour.com.au; doubles from A$329.

Jackalope Hotel Nestled in the Mornington Peninsula wine region, just one hour from Melbourne, Jackalope opened to great applause, winning its first accolades just weeks after its launch. The avantgarde hotel breathes modern life into a 143-year-old homestead and winery with its sleek design: dark walls and furnishings, stone bathtubs and black infinity pool. The 46 suites have floor-to-ceiling windows and private terraces for drinking in vineyard

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

views. Be sure to try the property’s own wine label, Willow Creek, at its two restaurants and lounge. jackalopehotels. com; doubles from A$650.

MACq 01 Situated on Hobart’s historic Macquarie Wharf district and surrounded by converted sandstone warehouses, this playful new art hotel pays homage to Tasmania’s rich and storied history. Each of its 114 rooms and suites is named after a colorful character from Tasmania’s past—from intrepid explorers and heroes to convicts and common crooks. With interiors crafted by local Tassie companies, views across the river, Franklin Wharf and Mount Wellington, and butler service in its luxury suites, the MACq 01 redefines waterfront hospitality. macq01.com.au; doubles from A$400.

SHOP

The New Trend Renowned Canadian multi-brand retailer The New Trend has opened its first overseas installment in the fittingly trendy locale of Melbourne suburb Armadale, along the High Street shopping precinct. This high-end boutique houses a carefully curated assortment of clothing and accessories by designers like Helmut Lang, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Chloé, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Alexander Wang.

“It’s about finding those brands that are hard to come by and offering something unique and different,” says Australia brand director, Vanessa Spencer. thenewtrend. com.au. — Ian Lloyd Neubauer

fr o m l e f t : c o u rt esy o f c h i n c h i n sy d n e y ( 2 ) ; c o u rt esy o f t h e n e w t r e n d ; c o u rt esy o f Jac k a lo p e

EAT & DRINK

Chin Chin Sydney After lighting a firecracker under Melbourne’s dining scene with Chin Chin, an Asian-fusion restaurant with queues out the door, restaurateur Chris Lucas brought the hype to Sydney this October—opening a second outpost in Surry Hills. The space within the heritagelisted Griffiths Teas Building has room for 160 diners, plus an 100-seat bar for cracking cocktails made with left-of-center ingredients like curry paste and chipotle.

An in-house rotisserie and charcoal pit means barbecue is at the heart of the menu: think Balinese spiced duck and Isaan grilled chicken. chinchinrestaurant.com.au; mains from A$16.50.

dining room, sprawling deck and courtyard garden. Hong Sa’s chefs blend local fare with Asian flavours: think Mooloolaba prawn rolls, and cinnamon bao stuffed with Thai-tea ice cream and raspberry jam. Wash it down with a Singha Mojito or Tom Yum Bloody Mary. spirithouse.com.au; drinks and snacks for two from A$100.

/ the best of 2017 / INDONESIA

EXPLORE

EAT

Da Maria From Australian restaurateur Maurice Terzini— founder of Bondi’s iconic Icebergs’ restaurant—Da Maria is a taste of the Amalfi Coast. The Seminyak dining space combines a modern Italian menu— sourdough pizzas, house-made pastas and fresh seafood—with authentic interiors designed by Roman architects Lazzarini Pickering. Partnering with the man behind Seminyak’s popular Motel Mexicola, Adrian Reeds, Da Maria is quickly becoming a hip hangout, with late-night pizzas, on-trend drinks and DJs after 10 p.m. damariabali. com; dinner for two from US$30.

Som Chai Part restaurant, part nightclub, the fifth Bali venue from Scottish chef Will Meyrick brings Thai flair to Seminyak. The menu puts a spin on the classics—try Angus beef tartare with nam prik narok chili sauce or slow-cooked short rib massaman curry, while cocktails like the Bangkok Smash, a rum and apple sour served with a flaming passion fruit, are in tune with the Thai theme. DJs spin until the early hours while cabaret dancers entertain at the bar. somchaiindonesia. com; dinner and drinks for two from US$50.

DRINK

The Lawn The latest place to see and be seen in Canggu, The Lawn is a stylish

82

new beach bar that brings the party to the shore. Choose from a daybed by the infinity pool with swim-up bar, picnic-style seating on the beachside lawn, or plush restaurant deck seats. Watch the sun set over the shoulders of surfers in the distance, while sipping on an Aperol spritz and nibbling on stone-oven pizzas. thelawncanggu.com; drinks for two from US$30.

STAY

Cempedak This eco-castaway resort is a place to leave the world behind, where tropical escapism meets five-star luxury.

Among a rainforest-veiled archipelago just off the coast of Bintan Island, Cempedak sits on its own private island, with its 20 beach and sea-view villas constructed from bamboo and refurbished traditional Javanese houses. All villas have private plunge pools, but if you’re seeking total exclusion, arrange a picnic hamper to be taken to a nearby deserted island. cempedak.com; doubles from US$459.

Hoshinoya Bali Overlooking the Pakerisan River and network of waterways that support the region’s lush rice terraces, this Ubud resort uses water as its running theme: three canal swimming pools stretch across the property, flowing into a series of semi-private pools. There is a choice of three spacious villas, all designed with Balinese tradition in mind— wall details are hand-carved and gazebo roofs are thatched with local grass. hoshinoyabali.com; doubles from US$700.

Udaya Resort & Spa With verdant views of Ubud’s rainforest at every angle, Udaya’s suites and villas make an enviable place to unwind, with private pools, terazzo bath tubs and lush, tropical outlooks. But it’s the Kaveri spa where luxury truly sets in: private suites face the river and valley, and traditional Balinese techniques ensure total relaxation. theudayaresort.com; doubles from US$170. — Fr aser Morton Turn to page 120 for the best new openings in Jakarta.

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

fr o m to p : c o u rt esy o f t h e l aw n ; c o u rt esy o f M e r i d i a n A dv e n t u r e D i v e R a ja Am pat ; c o u rt esy o f s o m c h a i . i n s e t : da m a r i a

Meridian Adventure Dive Raja Ampat The sweeping spine of Indonesia’s archipelago is an underwater treasure trove and the islands of Raja Ampat are an often-overlooked diving hub. Meridian Adventure’s Dive Raja Ampat allows guests to explore the region to suit their style—stay in boutique accommodation at their Wasai Dive Resort or at a family homestay as you cruise between reefs on state-of-the art dive boats. There are options for both experienced divers and first-timers, plus stunning karst hikes. dive. meridianadventures.com; doubles plus four tank dives for two from US$850.

from Top: Sunset views at The Lawn; shark-spotting at Meridian Adventure Dive; the lon poo kem chicken at Som Chai. Inset: Da Maria’s Cynar Mule, made with an artichoke-based liqueur.

c o u rt esy o f Bawa h I s l a n d

The resort’s Tree Top Restaurant.

dream trip

Bawah Island Among five private islands within the Indonesian Anambas archipelago, this secluded resort is a luxury hideaway like no other. Three hours from Singapore by ferry and seaplane, Bawah Island features 35 eco-designed suites and over-water bungalows.

If a backdrop of endless turquoise waters and lush scenery isn’t serene enough, the resort also offers a holistic wellness center. bawahisland.com; doubles from US$1,960.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

83

/ the best of 2017 /

Fusion Phu Quoc The innovative, wellness-focused resort group Fusion has landed on Phu Quoc to bring waterfront serenity to the country’s largest island.

Along with its signature “all-inclusive spa services,” (guests are entitled to two treatments for each night’s stay), the five-star haven has a state-of-the-art fitness center, where you can work out with a personal trainer and join yoga, tai chi or meditation sessions. Should you wish to simply unwind in peace, each of the 97 rustic yet contemporary villas has its own private pool and secluded garden. From there, explore the tropical waters by kayak or on a private snorkel tour. fusionresortphuquoc. com; doubles from US$299.

VIETNAM

The Myst Dong Khoi Set against the generic high-rises of downtown Saigon, the asymmetrical and avant-garde exterior of The Myst Dong Khoi makes this conceptdriven five-star hotel stand out from the crowd. Inside it gets even better. From the ylang-ylang scented lobby to each of the 108 open-plan rooms, the interiors pay tribute to the storied-history of the city with an eclectic array of salvaged or repurposed materials, cherished artifacts, quirky collectibles and Vietnamese handicrafts. themystdongkhoihotel.com; doubles from US$110.

EAT & DRINK

Layla Behind an unassuming Saigon doorway, a staircase leads (eventually) to Layla, a spacious bar and eatery that shot to prominence thanks to its unpretentious vibe and utilitarian approach to imbibing. Most customers come for the cocktails— classic, bespoke or theatrical—but there’s also an extensive wine list, plus imported beers on tap to

84

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Nê Cocktail Bar As a teenager, Pham Tiep led a Dickensian life, shining shoes on the street, bussing tables at a pho joint.

Now? He’s concocting the capital city’s most inventive potations at Nê, a cozy, stylish bar on the edge of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Try Tiep’s signature creations, such as Under the Bridge (tequila with fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves and kumquat) or the popular Pho Cocktail, a mix of gin and Cointreau, filtered through star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, set ablaze and served with fresh coriander, chili and lime. 3B Tong Duy Tan, Hanoi; 849/0488-6266; drinks for two from US$14.

SHOP

Vui Studio 21st-century Hanoi is home to a new generation of artisans infusing traditional craft products with contemporary aesthetics, and they’re worth seeking out. At Vui Studio—a distinctive concept store with minimalist design—you’ll find an exclusive range of modern homewares, stationery and organic cosmetics, all Vietnamese-designed, made from local resources, and environmentally friendly to boot. The hospitable space also houses a café and hosts film and concert screenings. fb.com/vuistudio.

Ava’na While Hoi An is known for its bespoke tailors, Danang now has its own source of handmade fashion: Ava’na, a boutique championing sustainable fashion, the third outpost in the country. The Belgian founders Nele De Block, a textile designer, and Aldegonde van Alsenoy, a stylist and photographer, work with the weavers of the Co Tu hill tribe to make their traditionally influenced designs. avanahoian.com. — Connl a Stokes from top: Fusion Phu Quoc is steps from the sea; Ava’na’s Tribe collection; behind the bar at Nê. Inset: Vui’s diffusers.

fr o m to p : c o u rt esy o f F u s i o n p h u q u o c ; c o u rt esy o f Ava’ n a ; c o u rt esy o f n Ê c o c k ta i l ba r . i n s e t : c o u rt esy o f v u i st u d i o

STAY

complement a menu of small plates, fresh seafood and shareable mains. Bonus extra: indoors is smoke-free (a rarity for bars in Vietnam). fb.com/laylaeateryandbarhcm; dinner and drinks for two from US$30.

Amazing resort experiences for members across Asia Pacific

Feel rewarded at over 100 stunning resorts across Asia Pacific with a suite of new and enhanced benefits just for members.

Ask us now or visit accorhotels.com/myresorts Terms and Conditions apply. For details visit accorhotels.com/myresorts

PARTICIPATING BRANDS

/ the / the best best of of 2017 2017 // Yayoi Kusama is exhibiting until February 25, 2018.

Japan

86

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

c o u rt esy o f G i n z a S i x

Super-mall

Ginza Six With 13 stories and 241 shops, the muchhyped luxury shopping mall Ginza Six finally opened its doors this April after three years in the making. The 80-billion-yen shopping center is home to high-end boutiques such as Dior, Saint Laurent and Valentino, a classy outpost of Tsutaya Books equipped with sixmeter-high bookcases and a glass ceiling for ample natural light, as well as fine-dining restaurants and a premium food hall. Japanese culture is also on show with Noh-style musical performances at the basement theater, and pop-up art exhibitions. ginza6.tokyo.

TURNING A NEW BLU ICON NESTLED ON THE CLIFFS OF ULUWATU. UNIQUE, SOPHISTICATED RESORT FOR MODERN THINKERS. METICULOUSLY PLANNED. GASTRONOMY AT ITS BEST. REVITALIZE, RESTORE AND RECONNECT. QUINTESSENTIALLY BLU.

BALI BLU INTRODUCTORY OFFER

20% OFF FOR ROOMS

VALID TILL 30 JUNE 2018

FREE INTERNET BOOK NOW

radissonblu.com/resort-bali RADISSON BLU BALI ULUWATU Jl Pemutih – Labuan Sait, Uluwatu, 80364 Pecatu – Bali, Indonesia T: +62 361 300 8888 F: +62 361 300 0188 E: rhi_rdbu@radisson.com

/ the best of 2017 /

The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui Ensconced in the luxe, beachfront small town Ritz-Carlton is trying to pass off as a mere resort, you’re going to want to move in forever. The cliffside pool villas evoke Malibu. The central square is modeled on a Thai market. There’s a snorkeling pool with a marine biologist, and a muay Thai ring with a female champ trainer. And in the Spa Village? They’re great at everything but water therapy is a focus: book the splash-happy Songkran shower, or a floating Aquasana massage and feel your troubles float away. ritzcarlton. com; doubles from Bt13,875.

Park Hyatt Bangkok The most-anticipated opening of the year is a soaring, asymmetrically swooping, shiny tower of dreams that has helped create a new hub in the center of the city. It’s easy to see why Park Hyatt is positioning this serene, art-filled property atop the finally buzzing fancy Central Embassy mall as their new flagship: it is a place both to take refuge from the city and to let the best of it in, with ramps and terraces and communal spaces helping you glide through what feels like your own understatedly opulent home. The Penthouse Bar & Grill is a rooftop triplex set for hotspot status, and the terraced pool deck overlooking the leafy Nai Lert Park is a unique urban resort. bangkok.park.hyatt.com; doubles from Bt10,000.

88

from left: Sebastian de

thailand

la Cruz pours at Tropic City; La Dotta’s fresh pasta; Rosewood Phuket’s pool pavilion. inset: A Hokkaido oyster at Sushi Zo.

therapies like Reiki and Watsu based on guests’ health needs. rosewoodhotels.com; doubles from Bt32,000.

EAT & DRINK

La Dotta Let’s say you are obsessed with pasta in the land of noodles. The best move, clearly, is to import yourself a Sicilian chef and have him start hand-making you all that carby deliciousness. Giampiero Quartararo oversees a team of passionate pasta lovers who use only organic duck egg in their recipes for everything from hand-rolled, thick pici pasta to hand-stuffed tortelloni.

Eat in the adorable Bangkok shophouse or pick your pleasure from the drool-worthy

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

display of take-away pastas and sauces. ladotta.co; dinner for two from Bt1,500.

Sushi Zo Making a power play for the crown of Bangkok’s already glittering omakase culture is this hidden jewel from charming maestro Keizo Seki. With a Michelin star for each of his restaurants in New York and L.A., he’s brought his 20-course oceanic journey to a tiny 12-seater where it’s all “for the love of fish,” he says. That means minimal garnish, minimal wasabi, all bold flavors that he and his entertaining team of chefs can predict based on species selected, how they are cut, how long they are aged and, at least in the case of uni, what they ate before being caught.

Pray that the fatty golden-eye

snapper nigiri is on the menu for your visit. sushizobangkok.com; omakase menu Bt6,000–8,000 per person.

Tropic City As rum and gin battle it out for the top of today’s trendy-booze pile, this tiki bar is making a strong case for cane liquor.

Opened on an about-to-boom swathe of Bangkok’s Chinatown, this is all parrots and palm trees and tropical tunes.

Perennially Hawaiian shirt–attired owners Sebastian de la Cruz and Philip Stefanescu are on hand to greet you with a grin and a Plantation Rum specialty cocktail... or an alcoholic coconut... or a shot. Just say yes, and make it your new local. fb.com/ tropiccitybkk; drinks from Bt350.

— JENINNE LEE-ST. JOHN

fr o m l e f t : c o u rt esy o f Tr o p i c C i t y ; c o u rt esy o f l a d ot ta ; c o u rt esy o f r o s e wo o d P h u k e t. i n s e t : c o u rt esy o f s u s h i Zo

STAY

Rosewood Phuket The brand’s first resort in Southeast Asia is a graceful new classic in which all 71 pavilions and villas face the sea, come with private pools, and are designed to feel like home. In the innovative Asaya Spa’s ‘Wellness Ateliers,’ experts create bespoke treatments and include alternative

A 24/7 ESCAPE. TRANQUIL BY DAY. ELECTRIC BY NIGHT. SITUATED BETWEEN MAENAM AND BO PHUT, IT HAS THE FINEST AND MOST PRISTINE BEACH LOCATION IN THAILAND, OVERLOOKING STUNNING BEACHES AND LUSH FORESTS, W RETREAT KOH SAMUI AWAKENS AS THE SUN GOES DOWN, IGNITING THE UNEXPECTED. ILLUMINATING.. ENVIRONS. TAKE IT EASY. SURROUNDED BY VERDANT FOLIAGE, EACH OF OUR 74 PRIVATE-POOL RETREATS BOASTS A PRIVATE OUTDOOR POOL AND INFINITE ISLAND VIEWS. INSIDE, PREMIER TECHNOLOGY MEETS W SIGNATURE BED, BLISS® SPA AMENITIES AND WHATEVER/WHENEVER® SERVICE. W RETREAT KOH SAMUI T 66 77 915 999 / F 66 77 915 998 EXPLORE WHAT’S NEW / NEXT WRETREATKOHSAMUI.COM WHOTELS.COM/KOHSAMUI

/ the best of 2017 /

India

Hotel

The view of the valley from a Royal Heritage Suite.

90

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

c o u rt esy o f A l i l a Fo rt B i s h a n ga r h

Alila Fort Bishangarh Built within a restored 230-year-old warrior fort on a hilltop in the Aravalli Range, just a one-hour drive from Jaipur, the Alila Fort Bishangarh makes a remarkable base to explore the region’s historic architecture and natural beauty. All 59 suites have views of the valley, while the design keeps the traditional structure untouched: latticed jali window screens, sandstone turrets, and Mughal-style arches add authenticity to your stay. alilahotels.com; doubles from Rs26,000.

Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket

A world of distinctive experiences awaits Gracious hospitality inspired by authentic Thai values enriches every stay at Dusit Hotels & Resorts worldwide. Immerse yourself in luxury and experience artfully delivered, personalised service in China, Kenya, Maldives, Philippines, Thailand, U.A.E., U.S.A., and more prestigious destinations. With four distinctive hotel brands to choose from, catering perfectly to business and leisure, no detail goes unnoticed in our pursuit of hospitality perfection.

Destinations: China • Egypt • Kenya • Maldives • Philippines • Thailand • U.A.E. • U.S.A.

/ upgrade /

DEALS | t+l reader specials

Enjoy a remote corner of Thailand or Vietnam this month, with a host of city and beach packages around the region to help celebrate the festive season in sunny climes.

FAMILY LANGKAWI

The St. Regis Langkawi Traveling with the family in tow? Then this playful package is aimed at you.

Included is daily breakfast for two adults and two children; complimentary children’s menu for those under 12 years old with each adult meal; an in-room camping experience for children; and late check-out until 4 p.m. when available. If you’re in particular need of space, there’s also half off the price of a second suite. The Deal Family Traditions package: a night in a suite, from RM2,281 for two adults and two children under the age of 12, through December 31, 2018. stregislangkawi.com.

BEACH KOH SAMUI

PHUKET

A St. Regis Langkawi welcome.

SUPERSAVER X2 River Kwai Resort, Kanchanaburi

While away the weekday afternoon against a backdrop of mountain ranges that extend to Burma, and the deep blue skies common at this time of year in the west of Thailand. Book a stay during the week at this riverside resort to receive up to 63 percent off the room rate. The Deal Happy Weekday offer: a night in a Luxe Cabin room, from Bt3,470 for two, through December 31, 2018. x2resorts.com.

92

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Sri Panwa Stay a minimum of two nights at this secluded Thai resort perched at the southern end of this popular island and receive up to 28 percent off normal rates. You’ll be rewarded with a host of extras: complimentary minibar with beer and snacks replenished daily, an exclusive gift set and daily breakfast are all included.

The Deal Special deal: a night in a Pool suite, from Bt14,400 for two, through December 31, 2018. sripanwa.com.

VIETNAM

La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc Inspired by the grandeur of a French colonial mansion, this

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f s t. r e g i s l a n g k aw i ; c o u r t e s y o f x 2 r i v e r k wa i r e s o r t

Sheraton Koh Samui Resort Extend your holiday and save at this resort on Chaweng Noi. The longer you stay, the more you save: stay three nights and pay for two; stay four nights and pay for three; and stays of five nights or more will receive a 25 percent discount. The Deal Stay Longer and Save: King rooms from Bt4,665 a night through December 30, 2017. sheratonsamui.com.

beachside resort in southwest Vietnam is home to just 70 guestrooms. This package includes airport transfers, Wi-Fi access, massage workshops and morning yoga classes. There’s also twice weekly afternoon tea parties and evening wine receptions included, which you’ll want to pencil in. The Deal A Winter Escape package: a night in a Deluxe Garden View room, from US$210 for two, through March 31, 2018. laverandaresorts.com.

Six Senses Con Dao Take a trip to this pristine chain of islands and save US$210 per adult with free domestic flights and airport transfers for stays of three nights or more.

Also included is overnight accommodation in Saigon, if needed the night before arrival.

Breakfast, wellness activities and complimentary nonmotorized water sports are also on offer. The Deal Stay and Fly Free package: three nights in an Ocean View Duplex Pool villa, from US$580 for two per night, through October 31, 2018. sixsenses.com.

CITY

c o u r t e s y o f m a n d a r i n o r i e n ta l t o k y o

Bangkok

COMO Metropolitan Bangkok A wellness break in the big city, this pampering package includes a healthy breakfast, herbal tea on arrival and a signature 60-minute COMO Shambhala holistic treatment.

There are also activity classes included, with yoga, pilates or stretching a few of the options.

Late check-out, when available, can also be arranged.

The Deal Discover COMO Shambhala: a night in a Metropolitan room, from Bt5,100, through December 31, 2017. comohotels.com.

HONG KONG

JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong Alerting all shopaholics, this hotel in Admiralty is offering a

The stylish Mandarin Oriental Tokyo.

retail-therapy package that includes accommodation in an Executive room or suite, access to the Executive Lounge and exclusive shopping privileges at Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, which is conveniently located in the shopping mall directly below the hotel. The Deal Stay and Shop at Harvey Nichols package: a night in an Executive room, from HK$3,200 for two, through December 30, 2017. Use code “LPR” when booking. marriott.com.

TOKYO

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo Spend a cozy winter in Tokyo with this indulgent package that includes a complimentary room upgrade to a Deluxe Premier room, a daily full breakfast for two at K’shiki or The Oriental Lounge and a dining or spa credit of ¥10,000 per room per stay, with each three-night stay. The Deal The Luxury of Winter package: a night in a Deluxe Premier room, from ¥58,000 for two, through March 18, 2018. mandarinoriental.com.

SINGAPORE

Andaz Singapore Designed by acclaimed architect Andre Fu, this new hotel is offering 20 percent off its standard rates with a minimum two-night stay, as well as 3,000 bonus points in the Hyatt frequent-stay program. With 342 modern guestrooms, a 24-hour fitness center, and outdoor pool, you’ll also have access to the rooftop bar and vibrant views of the city and harbor. The Deal Presenting Andaz Singapore: a night in a City-view King room or twin room, from S$370 a night for two, through April 30, 2018. hyatt.com.

Novotel Singapore on Stevens Singapore recently welcomed its second Novotel outlet, and the new 254-room hotel on Stevens Road has wellappointed, contemporary rooms that serve as the perfect base as you explore the Lion City. This package celebrates the hotel’s opening with discounted rooms and free breakfast. Get acquainted with regional cuisine from Thai

breakfast porridge to Singaporean kaya toast. Rumor has it the breakfast buffet even has chili crab. The Deal Opening package: a night in a Superior room, from S$208 for two, through March 31, 2018. novotel.com.

CULTURE LUANG PRABANG

Belmond La Résidence Phou Vao The gilded temples and old Indochinese villas of Luang Prabang are enough to charm any traveler, but we’ll argue that the ancient capital’s most compelling attraction is its exquisite French-infused Southeast Asian cuisine. This quiet hilltop resort is offering the perfect package for the curious foodie with a market tour, cooking class, a special dining tour around the city and daily breakfast. Other perks include airport transfers and bespoke turndown gifts.

The Deal The Taste of Luang Prabang package: a night in a Garden View Junior suite, from US$680 for two, through December 31, 2018. belmond.com.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / D e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

93

Aaron Kaupp keeps the world moving “From my first ILTM show in 2003 it has ever since been on my yearly calendar to attend as it is the epitome of shows in the travel industry. It enables us to meet with the best in the industry and is vital to our business.”

Aaron Kaupp, Directeur Général, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris #keeptheworldmoving www.iltm.com

V i r g i n i e B R OQUET

The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, page 114.

/ december 2017 / New Wellness Retreats worth the sacrifice |

All the wilderness in Northern Australia | Why we love Grande Dame hotels | Jakarta’s breakneck pace of change | A multi-generational trip to Menorca, Spain

95

From top: Tucked above the trees in a pool villa at Six Senses Yao Noi, Thailand; getting down and dirty with a Chōsen beach workout, in Bali; fishing on the Irrawaddy River, with the Road to Mandalay in Burma. opposite: Making a splash at Chōsen.

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f s i x s e n s e s ya o n o i ; c o u r t e s y o f c h Ō s e n ; c o u r t e s y o f b e l m o n d . o p p o s i t e : c o u r t e s y o f c h Ō s e n

With seemingly everyone on a health kick these days, some resorts are eschewing stringent asceticism and crafting wellness retreats that are actually fun. We visit a few new programs where you hardly even notice how healthy you’re getting.

Call for Retreat.

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m  / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

97

from top: Tuna tataki brings the B vitamins and protein at Chōsen; the epitome of wellness in Bali.

Seeking WorkoutLife Balance As a fiercely independent traveler with a propensity for getting tanked with strangers in planes, trains and the backseat of automobiles, the idea of spending a week at a wellness retreat in the fields practicing yoga while subsisting on flaxseed, berries and group hugs is downright terrifying.

But when Josh Davies, an Australian chef of note working in Bali told me about his new gig at Chōsen Experiences, a next-generation health camp designed to help participants push the boundaries of their physical and cognitive development, my interest was piqued.

Chōsen’s seven-day “Lifestyle Optimization Program” is the brainchild of American power-couple John Stanton and Robin Connelley. After meeting at Oxford University in the early noughties, they spent more than a decade working among Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong as venture capitalists. They were enormously successful, but that success came at a cost. “I was exercising and eating what most people would consider healthy foods, but the pressure I was putting myself under meant I was not taking care of myself mentally and emotionally,” Stanton says.

“The tipping point was about five years ago when I went two weeks straight sleeping only two to three hours a night. And I had colds all the time and I didn’t know why. I’d become outwardly happy but inwardly unfulfilled—

98

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

c o u r t e s y o f c h Ō s e n (4 )

Using Bali as its playground, ChŌsen challenges you to reset your life. By Ian Lloyd Neubauer

sacrificing my health and wellbeing for what’s considered success. So we took a couple of months to reset and reboot in Bali.”

However, as entrepreneurs with front-row seats to a network of high-net-worth individuals, Stanton and Connelley could not remain idle for long. In 2013, they launched Ninja Camp Bali, a retreat capitalizing on the wellness- and adventure-travel market trend.

Last year they took it to the next level by adding mental health and goal-setting experts to their team and exported the experience to three new destinations: Iceland, Guatemala and the South Island of New Zealand. And they rebranded it Chōsen, derived from the Japanese word shō-zen: to challenge.

The first new lifestyle skill I learn at Chōsen’s luxury villa complex at an undisclosed location on Bali’s west coast is how to use a timber toilet stool that transforms any Western toilet into a comfortable Asian-style squat. At first, I am hesitant but after one go, I’m hooked. It repositions the body in a more natural way. It’s also a lot healthier than my usual morning cigarette.

Yet the greatest shock to my system takes place at the first dinner, when the waiter pours me a glass of… water. I feel an urgent need to speed-dial a sommelier but cannot as I’ve been asked to leave my mobile phone in my room as part of Chōsen’s digital-detox strategy.

To his credit, chef Davies knocks the sugarand wheat-free whole foods menu out of the

from left: A Chōsen villa in Bali; race-car driver and mindfulness evangelist Claire Jedrek is a Chōsen alum.

ballpark, with dishes like organic pork-rib on the bone, pan-seared butterfish, an orgy of salads and, for breakfast, thick-cut barbecued bacon and gluten-free French toast. I eat like a pig, sometimes three or four servings per meal, yet by the end of the week I will have shredded nearly two kilograms of body fat.

We exercise two, sometimes three, times per day, beginning with a grueling but immensely rewarding beach workout on day two. “We had these really ripped guys from Hong Kong who worked out in air-conditioned gyms,” Connelley says. “But when we got them on the beach, they got eaten by the sand. They were like, what the hell?”

We sweat buckets during an “animal movement” class with French martial artist Guillaume La Port; climb ropes attached to the ceiling at a nearby Crossfit gym with Danielle Midalia, a petite but inordinately strong personal trainer from Perth who talked her father Geoff, a 67-year-young business mentor,

t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

99

delicious blend of pear, yellow watermelon, turmeric and ginger.

But those times are minority reports, of no significance compared to the multiple eureka moments all 10 participants enjoy. “Physically, you guys have made me do things I never thought I could,” says Geoff Midalia, the oldest and perhaps healthiest member of our group.

My eureka moment manifests during a Yin yoga class with yogi-cum-philosopher Rachel Fearnley from the U.K. While listening to her recite a passage from Jeff Foster’s reflective masterpiece The Way of Rest, the memory of a lost love resurfaces and tears stream down my face, forming a Rorschach-like stain on my yoga mat before evaporating into the heat of the day. “In a million different ways,” Fearnley’s soothing voice reassures me, “you have only ever been seeking yourself.”

Gold medal Olympian Michael Klim coaches swimming.

chosenexperiences.com; Bali retreat US$6,500 per person for double occupancy or US$6,900 single occupancy; Lifestyle Performance Optimization retreats also offered in New Zealand and Guatemala, and Skills-Based Wilderness Adventure retreat offered in Iceland; see website for upcoming dates and details.

c o u r t e s y o f c h Ō s e n . o p p o s i t e : c o u r t e s y o f s i x s e n s e s ya o n o i ( 2 )

into attending the retreat. We go canyoning and rock jumping in the northern jungles, and surf with private instructors on Canggu beach.

We make smoothies and bliss balls with chef Davies. And we have swimming lessons from two-time Olympic gold medal–winner Michael Klim, a gentle giant who concurrently inspires and regales us with anecdotes on how he succeeded in the face of overwhelming odds during a goal-setting workshop.

There are times during the course—like when we’re asked to line up facing the ocean to breathe in positive ions—when my eyes roll to the back of my head. And Stanton, for his all wonderful, boundless enthusiasm and energy, has a high-five-obsessive-compulsive-disorder that threatens to remove the outer layer of the skin of my palm by the end of the week.

One time, when I ask a waiter for orange juice at the breakfast table, I draw looks as though I’d just ordered a vial of heroin. But as chef Davies explains, pure orange juice, much like fizzy soft drinks, creates a blood-sugar spike in the body. “Once the spike burns out, it can lead to things like mood swings, susceptibility to stress and anxiety,” he says, offering me a “yellow juice” instead—a

100

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

Drift away in Sleep with Six Senses bamboo pajamas and eucalyptus sheets. below: The Six Senses Yao Noi wellness menu means eating right, and bright.

Dream Trip Six Senses is using sleep science to improve your stay—and your health. By Jeninne Lee-St. John Some resorts want to take away your mobile phone and your wine and make you get up at dawn and drink a bunch of kale shakes. Six Senses just wants to get you in bed.

Their new Sleep with Six Senses program is both a company-wide commitment to giving all guests their best zzz’s, and a multi-step, science-based offering on their wellness menu that you can tack on to your stay to learn about your sleep patterns and how to improve them.

Every Six Senses guest room is getting new beds and bedding. How do sustainable, biodegradable, Fair Trade mattresses handmade in Devon, England, sound? About as wholesome as you can get. Down and feather duvets and pillows are dust mite–proof to help those with allergies and asthma. If you pay for the Sleep with Six Senses upgrade, they’ll swap out the sheets for moisture-wicking, ventilating ones made of eucalyptus, wood pulp and organic cotton that help regulate body temperature. You also get extras, some bespoke and some standard, like a yak-wool eye mask, and a pair of the world’s softest pajamas. They are bamboo, and they will change your life.

Most important is the special pad placed under the mattress to measure your sleep patterns via your heart rate, breathing and movement. A sleep expert on-site assesses the t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7

101

102

Getting elevated at the Six Senses Yao Noi spa.

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

outing him as an insomniac. Before arrival, Henry and I had filled out questionnaires on our sleep habits. Because he had noted that he has trouble falling asleep, Gwen prescribed a pre-bedtime 20-minute soak in a warm bath to raise his body temperature, stirred with jasmine essential oils to create a sense of peace and boost cognition. Because he had said he sleeps on his side, there was an L-shaped body pillow to cuddle—I mean, to alleviate pressure on his lower back.

As for me, because I had said that I have trouble waking up, Gwen gave me organic eucalyptus-and-lemon body wash for my morning shower, to boost circulation. I sleep on my back, so she gave me a thin down pillow for my head constructed to keep my lower back and spine aligned.

A light next to the bed glowed a soft orange all night, and changed to soft blue in the morning. This is supposed to mimic your natural circadian rhythm: blue light’s short, high-energy wavelengths trigger alertness. It

c o u r t e s y o f s i x s e n s e s ya o n o i ( 3 )

data and makes recommendations. If you combine this with an integrated wellness assessment, you get a holistic look at your health—much of which is directly related to your sleep. So says the guy who put this all together: Dr. Michael Breus, an American clinical psychologist specializing in sleep disorders who has written books on how improving sleep helps you improve health and lose weight, and is considered a global expert.

For someone who loves sleeping as much as I do, it was a rude awakening to realize how little I knew about it. For starters, Dr. Breus told me, dispense with the obsession with the eight-hour mandatory minimum. “People are genetically predisposed to require different lengths of sleep,” he said. “I’ve been a 6½-hour sleeper my whole life. I haven’t used an alarm clock in 20 years.”

It’s not so much about how much you sleep as how deeply you sleep. There are three phases of sleep—light, deep and R.E.M.— through which you usually cycle a few times a night. The primary purpose of sleep is healing, Dr. Aneesh Vadakkeveedu, the yoga and wellness consultant at Six Senses Yao Noi, stressed to me during my visit, and that only happens during deep sleep, of which you’d ideally get 2½ to three hours total per night.

During this phase, your organs detox, your body and mind reset themselves, and your unwanted memories are deleted. Emerging from deep sleep, you move into the rapid eye movement phase, in which, Dr. Aneesh said, “dreams are the manifestation of your body connecting to the outside world.”

I had told everyone I was going to sleep camp, because that sounded cool, but in the end it wasn’t far off the mark. On my trip to Six Senses’ rustic-luxury flagship property that wraps around a hill on a little isle in the karststrewn bay off Phuket, everything was coordinated by the amiable, graceful-underfire Gwen—most resorts would call her the butler, but Six Senses prefers “GEM,” or guest experience manager. I prefer camp counselor.

Island-hopping boat trips, Pranic healing and massages, muay Thai and aerial yoga lessons, a wine-and-cheese tasting with the sommelier... she had me as heavily scheduled as a helicopter-parented 11-year-old. Possibly this wasn’t just for my sheer delight, but also to tire me out, since Gwen was also my sleep ambassador, the distributor of nighttime treats and keeper of the iPad holding my sleep data.

While it’s kind of like upscale-hippie camp, it’s not a group retreat, so, to get another perspective on things, I brought along a sleepretreat guinea pig who I hope doesn’t mind my

is emitted by the sun, but also TVs and cell phones, keeping us all up at night. By contrast, orange light, the only color that doesn’t contain any blue, stimulates melatonin production.

But as someone who likes to sleep in total darkness, I found the light distracting. I woke up in the middle of the night, twice by Dr. Aneesh’s count when he reviewed my data the next day. In bed for seven hours and 42 minutes, 56 percent of that was light sleep, 18 percent R.E.M. sleep, and 24 percent—or one hour and 52 minutes—deep sleep. “We can get that number up a bit,” he said.

It could’ve been the light. Or it could’ve been the wine. Too much alcohol shuts off your brain and doesn’t allow it to detoxify, he told us: “You might know this as a hangover.”

Checking a slew of our biomarkers from dry lean mass to detox potential, cerebral response to low-grade inflammation, Dr. Aneesh offered individually tailored health advice, and life philosophy, peppered by random supporting facts we suspected might be wise-man lore, but were inclined to believe anyway (“Rockefeller couldn’t sleep and was going to die, but then he started his foundation to help people and lived another 50 years”). Since I have a low capacity to regulate my pH, for example, he told me I should add alkaline such as lime to my water, which will increase my ability to absorb minerals and help reduce chronic anxiety and stress—and therefore help me sleep.

Rather than harsh, judgy prescriptions, Dr. Aneesh issued cycle-of-life, news-you-can-use, feel-good advice. He told me to stretch and meditate more, of course, eat more cheese (yay!) and try to drink less white wine in order to reduce my sugar intake… just a bit less would help… well, or just switch to red?

The next night I slept less overall, but my ratio of deep sleep improved. I’m not positive as to why, but I’m taking even odds on the soporific tannins and those bamboo pajamas.

from top: An ocean-front muay Thai lesson and a post-spa chill session, at Six Senses Yao Noi.

sixsenses.com; Six Senses Yao Noi doubles from Bt32,288; Sleep With Six Senses now available at Six Senses resorts Zighy Bay (Oman), Douro Valley (Portugal), Ninh Van Bay (Vietnam), Zil Pasyon (Seychelles) and Yao Noi (Thailand) for US$165 per guest (US$225 per couple) for the first night, US$30 (US$60) per subsequent night.

Channel your inner Buddha on a Belmond cruise through Burma. By Veronica Inveen The Irrawaddy River offers a treasure of temples; novice monks know a thing or two about mindfulness.

104

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

courtesy of belmond (2)

Meditative State

I’m convinced that if the combination of the setting sun’s golden light, the soothing sound of our vessel gliding through river, and the guiding voice of mindfulness teacher Brian Hilliard can’t help me slip into a meditative state, then nirvana probably isn’t in the cards for me. Taking a break from my half-assed attempts at enlightenment, I peek an eye open to catch a glimpse of the passing pagodas that dot the vast rural plains that border the Irrawaddy River.

In a country brimming with monasteries and glittering temples, where Buddhism is at the heart of its culture and meditation is a way of life, Burma is the one place I should be able to get mindful.

I’m onboard the Road to Mandalay, Belmond’s luxurious 90-meter-long vessel that makes three- to seven-day journeys between Mandalay and Bagan. This trip is the first of the boat’s many wellness cruises, and to kick things off, Belmond has teamed up with the duo behind Mindfulness Journeys: Hilliard and his partner Shannon van Staden, who have curated spiritually enriching activities to help foster mindfulness and self-discovery.

The words “wellness,” “spiritually enriching,” “mindfulness,” and “selfdiscovery” conjure a feeling of discomfort, even boredom, inside me. My foot falls asleep just from the thought of sitting cross-legged for long periods of time in meditation. In fact, all of a sudden I need a drink, because the likelihood of there being alcohol on this type of trip seems grim. But then I’m welcomed aboard with a glass of bubbly and handed an itinerary that isn’t merely alternating sessions of yoga and meditation, and things are looking up.

Days start with Tibetan yoga on the ship’s top deck, which doubles as an expansive exercise playground and the perfect place to watch the sun rise over the surrounding plains. Hilliard leads the group through a session of the fast-paced tai chi–like yoga practice—a style he calls “yoga for busy people” because of how adaptable it is to a hectic lifestyle. After learning the style only requires 15 to 20 minutes per session, it is already my favorite type of yoga. When we are all loose and ready to take on the day, fresh pressed juices are served on deck for those who have enough willpower not to immediately beeline to the sumptuous breakfast buffet that waits in the restaurant.

After an early tour through the town of Ava in Mandalay (guests choose to see the languid village by bike or horse cart, ending with a yoga session in a mango-tree orchard), the rest of the day is spent on the ship as we embark >>

LET’S CONNECT W W W.TR AVEL ANDLEISUREASIA.COM

TR AVELLEISUREASIA

@TR AVLEISUREASIA

@TR AVELANDLEISUREASIA

A bike ride through Bagan.

languorous nature of the cruise—no mandatory activities, minimal Wi-Fi, plenty of free time between activities—in combination with the unspoiled, gentle environment of our Buddhist locale made me feel undeniably more grounded. The unpretentious, easy-going approach to mindfulness as preached by Hilliard and van Staden was a revelation, too.

“Don’t try so hard,” Hilliard told me, “Just sit up straight like the Buddha and give your mind the opportunity to slow down. It’s not really such a big deal.”

Keeping his suggestions in mind, I maintained impeccable posture the whole journey home and tried to just be with myself instead of scrolling mindlessly through my phone. It could have just been the residual reverie of Burma, but for a brief second or two I think I was meditating. belmond.com and mindfulnessjourneys.com; three-night Road to Mandalay cruises from US$2,656 per person, all inclusive.

weekend warriors Spend a weekend with a beaming life coach, a top dietitian, a yoga aficionado and an art-therapy expert at a quiet beachside haven, and by Monday, you may be feeling like a paragon of wellness. JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa’s annual Reboot and Re-Evaluate workshop, hosted by their Mandara Spa, aims to motivate and educate guests on everything from stressreduction to brain function to fat loss. The resort’s executive chef fixes up healthy fare, even leading a few cooking demonstrations so that you can take a stab at clean eating at home. Activities like face yoga and aromatherapy 101 are sprinkled between lectures on gut health and mediation sessions. To fully wrap yourself in the relaxing locale, two massage treatments at the resort’s award-winning spa are included. The next workshop is slated for May 2018; for details contact spa director Linda Overman (linda. overman@marriotthotels.com) or call 66-7/633-8000; marriott.com.

106

d e c e mb e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

fr o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f b e l m o n d ; c o u r t e s y o f j w m a rr i o t t p h u k e t r e s o r t a n d s pA

towards Bagan. The vessel is relatively small but all the essentials are there. Aside from a dip in the rooftop pool or a workout at the gym, downtime can be spent chatting with the onboard astrologer (who gives me a heads up that I’m going to need glasses in a few years), appreciating an exhibit of local art in the boat’s lounge, learning how to wear the traditional Burmese longyi in a staff-led demo, or attending a lecture on Buddhism.

Or you can waste away the afternoon at the spa—for the sake of wellness, of course. Two sweet therapists offer treatments that nod towards our romantic locale, such as the Manee Pura facial or the thanaka body exfoliant. After the sunset meditation session, I’m all kinds of rejuvenated for the cocktail party and multi-course dinner that follows.

When I wake up the next morning, I’m pleased to see that Bagan has been delivered to my cabin door. The city’s celebrated pagodas make a pleasant backdrop at breakfast before we head out for our morning tour. About a dozen of us choose to take Bagan by bike; others decide on a historic tour of the site or a visit to a market and home of a local family. At the end of our 12-kilometer bike ride, we have the option to settle our heart rates by meditating with Hilliard and van Staden in one of the ancient temples. Unfortunately, my hangover is starting to catch up with me.

But the highlight of the day is catching the sunset from the top of a pagoda that offered uninterrupted views of the plains, with Htilominlo Temple, one of the more grandiose of the bunch, taking center stage.

Even though I was never able to clear my mind enough to successfully meditate, the

SEOUL: HOME OF INTERNATIONAL CINEMA LOCATIONS

Bridge over Seoul’s Changgyecheon Stream.

MBC towers over DMC’s iconic statue.

Changgyecheon Stream in the heart of Seoul.

Hoehyeon Underground Market.

**FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.VISITSEOUL.NET

Iconic statue from Avengers 2 at Digital Media City.

KO R E A N S H AV E LO N G B E E N passionate about movies. In fact, the film industry has been thriving for years here in the capital, with many globally recognized productions having been shot here. Both native and international directors have chosen Seoul to shoot their films, and it’s no small wonder to figure out why. Thanks to its wonderful diversity, the city is a beautiful melange of new and old, as well as modern and traditional, creating an ideal backdrop for a wide selection of movie genres.

Perhaps the biggest showcase of Seoul to the world was in The Avengers 2, which was released in 2015. The blockbuster movie scored millions of dollars at the box office and was seen by countless fans all over the world.

Seoul was featured prominently in the film, with shooting locations that included the Han River, Gangnam and Sangam Digital Media City, a high-tech digital media entertainment cluster. Walking around the sprawling complex I can see that this area is home to the country’s biggest industry brands, including CJ E&M, MBC, YTN and Dexter Studios, a VFX company.

Visitors here can run into any number of celebrities on any given day. Producers chose this location because of its state-of-the-art infrastructure and overall futuristic, high-tech feel, which complemented the tone of the move so very well.

Next up on my journey is the location of the recent, well-received film “Okja”. Directed by highly-respected filmmaker, Bong Joon-ho, one famous scene from the movie was shot in the labyrinthian sprawl of Hoeyeon Underground Market. It is here where the Animal Liberation Association tries to steal Okja the pig from the corporation. We first see the actors in a big shootout in one of the stores.

My final stop takes me to Seoul’s Cheonggycheon stream. This attractive walkway is where the famous American TV series “Sense 8” was filmed. The story revolves around eight central character that share one another’s vision. Several main actors in the show can be seen visiting Cheonggycheon stream where the actress Doona Bae lives. It is also the setting for the Malaysian TV show “Shhhh…I love you”. After strolling along the calming rushing waters it isn’t hard to see why producers would have chosen this area.

News of Seoul’s favorable urbanscape continues to travel fast. It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing many more blockbusters being filmed here.

D E E P

D O W N

U N D E R

The coast between Arnhem Land and Darwin as seen from a helicopter.

When photographer Tom Parker set off on a tour of Northern Australia’s Top End and the Kimberley—home to some of the planet’s largest stretches of wilderness—he discovered an otherworldly landscape that was both a test of his skill and a profound inspiration. t r a v e la n dl e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7

109

I ’ v e t r av e l e d t o n e a r ly 9 0 c o u n t r i e s i n m y w o r k as a photographer— among them some o f t h e m o s t r e m o t e , e x t r e m e p la c e s o n t h e p la n e t.

But the scale and emptiness of northwestern Australia was unlike anything I had seen before. It’s one of earth’s last great wildernesses. That’s often my main motivation when I travel—to take pictures of places that are still relatively untouched by man.

The area I covered was vast. I landed in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, and spent the next seven days driving eastward, through Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land—33,600-square-kilometer area the government gave back to the Aboriginal community around 50 years ago. Then, using small desert planes and helicopters, I flew some 1,500 kilometers to the Kimberley, an even more remote region of northwestern Australia.

The Kimberley is the same size as California, yet has a population of just 38,000. There’s almost nothing there except this ancient, incredibly wild landscape.

Along the way, I flew over the Bungle Bungle mountains, which were only “discovered” by the outside world in 1982. The geology is very complex, and there’s a lot of texture there, but it can be tricky capturing that unless you’re able to shoot from above. Flying overhead in small aircraft meant I was able to take aerial photographs that really give a sense of how unique the topography is.

I was lucky enough to travel with a legendary guide named Sab Lord, who grew up in the Australian bush. He is the real deal—exactly the kind of guy you’d want to have looking out for you in this part of the world.

Lord, who has an amazing knowledge of Aboriginal culture, is one of very few people allowed to take visitors into Arnhem Land. Aboriginal people don’t like having their picture taken, and you can’t photograph the towns where they now live without getting permission from the government. As with any shoot where there are cultural sensitivities at play, it took a few hours to figure out how to find the photographs without offending anyone.

For me, the great thing about Lord—and I heard this from a few different people on the trip—is that he can bridge the gap that still exists between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population. He introduced us to some inspiring Aboriginal people, and his stories about their way of life were mixed with hilarious anecdotes about getting into scrapes in the bush as a child.

This part of Australia is the true outback. In Kakadu National Park we traveled down a river teeming with crocodiles. At one point, a 6-meter-long animal drifted past us, dwarfing our boat, which already felt very low in the water. Lord assured us that this crocodile was a bit of a legend in the area and had never proved himself to be particularly interested in floating wooden objects, but

110

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e la n dl e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

1

4

1. “There aren't many people living in Arhnem Land, but the locals are friendly.”

2. “Cathedral Gorge in Northern Australia’s Bungle Bungle range is a difficult place to shoot,” Parker explains. “The hole in the roof lets in light only when the sun is at exactly the right angle.” 3. “I wanted a close-up of a crocodile, so I took a tour of the Adelaide River. The guide would hold up bait to lure them out of the water. This one was inches away from my face.” 4. “I have a love of wild swimming, and the rock gorges along the northern coast of the Kimberley are some of the best spots for it. This local man assured me the water was crocodilefree before I followed him in.”

2

3

a s s o o n a s t h e s u n s ta r t e d fa l l i n g , the colors and the contours of the rock w o u l d r e v e a l t h e m s e lv e s

136 

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / t r a v e la n dl e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

some of our party got pretty nervous anyway. It felt a bit like coming across a dinosaur.

Even though we traveled in May, which is autumn in Australia, there was a scorched feel to everything. The area is incredibly arid, and gets drier and more deserted the farther inland you go. We saw a lot of forest fires. In the heat of the day the landscape felt quite angry, but as soon as the sun started falling, the depth of the colors and the contours of the rocks would reveal themselves. That was when I took many of my best shots.

It’s a tough place to photograph, as it can be visually quite homogeneous. But that is the great challenge of being a photographer: to look for beautiful images where on the surface there don’t appear to be any.

The details Getting there To reach Australia’s Top End, the northernmost section of the Nothern Territory, fly to Darwin via Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney.

Tour Operator Epic Private Journeys A Brisbane-based operator offering bespoke travel itineraries throughout Australia. epic privatejourneys.com; Top End trips from A$1,028 per person per day.

Stay SkyCity Darwin This resort is walking distance from the city center, but its five restaurants and 24-hour entertainment complex make it a destination of its own. skycitydarwin.com.au; doubles from A$226.

Arnhem Land

“I lit up these spectacular beehive rocks in the Bungle Bungle range with the headlights of our car,” Parker says. “You have to experiment when doing a shoot like this.”

Getting there Take an hour-long flight from Darwin to Jabiru, then drive two hours east on dirt roads.

Stay Davidson’s Arnhem Land Safaris Located in the bush, this camp has a lounge, library and pool. Guests stay in the surrounding private cabins. arnhemland-​​safaris.com; cabins from A$772.

views of the Kimberley coastline and Berkeley River. berkeleyriver​ lodge.com.au; villas from A$2,009.

Kakadu National Park

Getting there Drive two hours southeast from Darwin, or take a 45-minute flight in a light aircraft.

Stay Bamurru Plains Each of the nine safari suites at this lodge is raised on timber platforms and designed to provide total immersion in the terrain. bamurru​plains.com; doubles from A$638.

Purnululu National Park

Getting there Take a 90-minute flight from Darwin to Kununurra, then transfer for an hour-long flight.

Stay Bungle Bungle Spend the night in one of the tented cabins before enjoying a three-course breakfast and exploring the nearby beehive domes. kimberleywilderness.com. au; doubles from A$504.

natural wonder

Berkeley River

Getting there Transfer from Darwin to the Berkeley airstrip via a 100-minute flight aboard a light aircraft.

Stay Berkeley River Lodge Situated high on a dune, the private villas provide stunning

While in Purnululu National Park, tour the Bungle Bungle mountains. The orange-and-black sandstone domes rise nearly 250 meters above the grassy plain.

t r a v e la n dl e i s u r e a s i a . c o m / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7

113

ThereĘźs

Nothing Like a

Dame

iconic old-world hotels draw past and present together in an ever-flowing river of time. joe cummings offers a love letter to some of the most gracefully aging grandes dames of our region.

Illustrations by Virginie Broquet

y favorite travel writers, the ones who inspired me in my journeys and career, set their most important works in early- to mid-20th-century Southeast Asia. To provide convincing backdrops for their tales of lost men and women, ethical crises, and the visible dissolution of empire, Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad and Graham Greene spent months on ships, trains, and even mule (in the case of Maugham, from Mandalay to Chiang Mai). They suffered, they kept journals, then they holed up in grand pre-war hotels, recovering from the rigors of the road with a steady flow of gin and English tea while hacking notes into narrative.

Their fellow guests were statesmen, explorers, spies, world-weary socialites, con artists—enticing material for juicy characters. These early hotels in Bangkok, Rangoon, Singapore, Hong Kong, Hanoi, Siem Reap and other capitals, inevitably found their way into the novels and travelogues that made their authors legendary. Great literature transformed the hotels into legends as well.

Watching these grandes dames over the decades has provided object lessons in weathering hard times and growing old gracefully. Today, though they embrace modern times with aplomb, they are also self-contained time capsules brimming with colonial nostalgia and vivid reminders of the golden age of travel.

M

y first was The Oriental Hotel, now Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, and I was led there

by Somerset Maugham’s colorful travel tome, The Gentleman in the Parlour: A Record of a Journey from Rangoon to Haiphong. He checked in on 6 January 1923.

“I was in Bangkok,” he writes. “It is impossible to consider these populous modern cities of the East without a certain malaise. They are all alike, with their straight streets, their arcades, their tramways, their dust, their blinding sun, their teeming Chinese, their dense traffic, their ceaseless din.... But when you leave them it is with a feeling that you have missed something and you cannot help thinking that they have some secret that they have kept from you.”

Roughly 50 years after these words were published, I turned up in Bangkok hoping to dig into such secrets.

Maugham recovered from malaria in the suite that eventually bore his name, and his last visit to The Oriental was in 1960 for his 85th birthday. Joseph Conrad was a regular at the bar during his years as a sea captain—fitting considering the original site was built in 1860 by Captain James White as a boarding house for crew of ships awaiting inspections by the Royal Customs House. An upgrade, a fire and a rebuild by a Danish entrepreneur and Italian architects led to the 1885 debut of a much grander (Belgian carpets; velvet divans; a French chef) Oriental, with seven suites, 24 bedrooms with baths, and 10 small rooms with shared baths.

King Chulalongkorn visited The Oriental to assess its suitability for accommodating royal guests. As a result, the hotel in 1891 hosted Crown Prince Nicholas, future Tsar of Russia, and from that point enjoyed an enduring relationship with Thailand’s royal court.

Japanese troops leased the hotel during World War II. Afterwards, six Bangkok acquaintances pooled US$250 each to buy it. Among them: Polish-French photographer Germaine Krull, Thai filmmaker and arts patron Prince Bhanubandhu Yugala, and American Jim Thompson, a trained architect who oversaw the restoration but left to start his silk business. In 1947, Krull became general manager, launched the now-legendary Bamboo Bar, and returned the property to its premier post in Thai society.

Through renovations that included the 1958 installation of the city’s first elevator and last year’s bright overhaul of the Authors’ Wing, where sections are dedicated to Maugham, Conrad, Noël Coward and James Michener, the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok has stayed true to its graceful, 19th-century character.

When Eleanor Roosevelt arrived at The Oriental in 1950, a crowd of 1,000 greeted her. From the 1960s, a long list of celebrities—Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken—stayed here. In the early 1980s, I was introduced to a young Alsatian chef who had been sent to upgrade the hotel’s well-regarded French eatery, Le Normandie, and revamp the Asian menus as well. It tr av el andleisure asia .com / december 2017

115

was 23-year-old Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s first job as an executive chef and, shortly after, he moved to the United States, bringing the aromatic flavors of Southeast Asia with him to create the cuisine that has come to be known as Asian fusion.

I

was following Maugham’s footsteps again when I strolled into The Strand in Rangoon a few years later on my first trip to Burma. The Victorian hotel facing the thriving Hlaing River was built in 1901 by the Sarkies brothers, the illustrious Armenian family also behind the E&O in Penang and Raffles in Singapore. With teak-paneled walls brimming with Burmese oil paintings, The Strand is cited in John Murray’s classic 1911 A Handbook for Travellers in India, Burma, and Ceylon as “patronized by royalty, nobility and distinguished personages.” It remains one of Rangoon’s most enduring landmarks, up there with the Shwedagon and Sule pagodas.

During World War II, the hotel was serendipitously spared when an Allied bomb dropped on the roof failed to explode. Time took its toll, however, and by the 1970s The Strand was a far cry from its heyday.

In the late 1980s, I found musty guest rooms with sagging beds, but the restaurant served the best “lobster” (actually crayfish) in Rangoon at bargain prices, and the Chinthe Bar had an endless supply of warm Mandalay Beer. Locals, backpackers and expats convened nightly to swap stories in an atmosphere of post-colonial decay that somehow provided the perfect backdrop of Asian

116

december 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

intrigue, at least to my mind.

I imagined young Maugham, ensconced in a corner of the bar, taking notes. I lifted a beer to Rudyard Kipling, who is said to have composed part of Just So Stories for Little Children, his 1902 collection of animal origin tales, while at The Strand. George Orwell purportedly penned parts of Burmese Days, one of the finest British-colonial novels ever written, here, too.

I confess I found The Strand inspiring enough that I ended up writing thousands of words myself while holed up here later in the 1990s. By this time, it had undergone an extraordinary transformation under foreign investors including Adrian Zecha, the founder of Aman Resorts.

Fresh from another complete renovation and reopening last year, The Strand brings back more of the hotel’s former glory and then some, redistributing interior space into butler-serviced suites, with a new rooms annex on the way. Sarkies Bar, a chic heir to the rambling old Chinthe Bar, is equally welcoming to all and sundry. While the hotel has made far strides in terms of comfort, I must confess that I sorely miss the Burmese oil paintings of the original, especially the massive painting by national artist U Ba Khin that once hung at the top of the long-gone lobby stairs.

A

lthough Angkor Wat and its satellite temple compounds were erected from carved laterite and sandstone a millennium ago, they remained a treasure unknown outside the region until French explorer Henri Mouhot rediscovered the site in 1860. By the late 1920s, up to 3,000 visitors per year—mostly French, Americans and British—were visiting. Most stayed at French government bungalows in Siem Reap.

Among the early intrepid travelers was, of course, our own Somerset Maugham. Although he writes that Ayutthaya bores him, Haiphong is dull, and Hanoi offers little of interest, he is effusive about Angkor, saying he’s “never seen anything more wonderful.” He lingers among the ruins in anticipation of “discovering some strange and subtle secret,” and declares Khmer sculpture superior to that of the ancient Greeks and Mayans.

Alas, Maugham never had a chance to stay at the Grand Hotel d’Angkor, but there’s little doubt he helped create a demand for accommodations in Siem Reap.

Conceived of by Ernest Hébrard, the architect and town planner for all French Indochina, and placed by famed archaeologist, ethnologist and curator Georges Groslier on the main thoroughfare aligned with both Angkor Wat and the city of Angkor Thom along a north-south axis,

the 62-room hotel opened in 1932.

With its gabled roofs, simple Art Deco balconies, French shutters and a nostalgic French garden in front, the Grand resembled colonial government projects across Indochina. For years it was the only Siem Reap hotel in which all guest rooms had en suite bathrooms. The hotel’s first general manager, Alfred Messner, produced a guidebook titled Ruines d’Angkor, the first of its kind, at his own expense.

Like all of these grandes dames, the hotel suffered the vagaries of World War II and post-war national liberation movements. Following sovereignty, Siem Reap enjoyed a 20-year boom in visitors, but Cambodia’s civil war ending in the 1975 ascension of the murderous Khmer Rouge brought tourism to a complete halt. Like the majestic Angkor ruins, the Grand stood neglected, unvisited, and mostly untouched after Year Zero.

But, shortly after UN-sponsored elections in the early 1990s, Raffles International acquired the property, and reopened it in 1997 as Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor. This links the Grand to the original Raffles in Singapore, built in 1887, the first hotel in the Lion City with electric lights, and still one of the world’s most iconic stays. (Raffles Singapore is undergoing a full restoration, and will be closed from mid-December until the second half of 2018.)

Today, behind the Grand’s perfectly preserved 1930s façade are period-correct interior details such as a beautifully restored iron-cage elevator, and floral-motif railings. Two new low-rise wings in the same style of the

original building encircle a spectacular 35-meter swimming pool. On a wall in the lobby hangs an impressive 1911 lithograph poster, designed by Georges Groslier himself, promoting “Grand Tourisme Les Ruines d’Angkor Indochine.”

I don’t know how many notice the Groslier poster, but to me it perfectly encapsulates the golden era of travel, as does the hotel itself, where I swear I can hear the echoes of steamer trunks being rolled by bellmen down the tile-floored corridors from one whitewashed hall lintel to the next.

D

uring the colonization of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as French Indochina, Hanoi served as capital of the whole lot.

Sixty-three years after North Vietnam declared independence, Hanoi remains the most French city in Southeast Asia. And one of its most enduring architectural landmarks is the Metropole, established by French investors André Ducamp and Gustave-Émile Dumoutier in the French Quarter 116 years ago. Designed in the Belle Époque’s exuberant reinvention of 17th- and 18th-century classicism, the Metropole is a stone’s throw from the imposing Hanoi Opera House, opened a decade later in 1911.

Cue Maugham again, who is said to have finished The Gentleman in the Parlour at the hotel in the 1920s. Charlie

Chaplin and Paulette Goddard honeymooned at the Metropole in 1936 after marrying in Shanghai. And in 1951, Graham Greene wrote parts of The Quiet American, the anti-war novel that presaged the outcome of Uncle Sam versus Uncle Ho, while staying here.

During the 11-year conflict, the North Vietnamese government changed the hotel’s name to Thong Nhat (Reunification) Hotel, and here hosted Russian and Eastern European advisers plus the embassies and consulates of several countries that had retained diplomatic relations. Hotel staff received military training to help protect guests.

In 1972, American actress Jane Fonda and folk singer Joan Baez stayed at the Thong Nhat, at separate times, to witness the effects of carpet bombing and to deliver mail to American POWs. Baez’s visit coincided with an 11-day U.S. bombing spree, during which the singer made ample use of the hotel’s bomb shelter, inspiring the song, Where Are You Now My Son? After the war, the shelter was closed and forgotten until a 2011 excavation beneath the Bamboo Bar revealed its location. Now open for tours, the shelter received a return visit from Baez in 2013.

In 1987, Pullman Hotels and the Vietnamese government entered a joint venture to restore the hotel to international standards, and it re-opened in 1992. With the addition of new wings, which seamlessly pick up the tone of the original building while adding modern interpretations of Art Deco interiors, the hotel, rebranded as a Sofitel Legend, encircles a lush garden

containing a pool, the open-air Bamboo Bar and a greenhouse perfect for afternoon tea.

Fittingly, while filming The Quiet American in 2001, Michael Caine and the other cast members made their home among the green shutters, wrought iron, wood paneling, masterful central staircase, and sidewalk café that bring back the Belle Époque. Sipping a pastis at a table outside, facing Ngo Quyen Street, I can still feel what it must have been like when colonial Hanoi was known as Paris of the East.

I

’ll never forget the view of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island from the bar at Felix, the Philippe Starck–designed restaurant on the 28th floor of The Peninsula Hong Kong. Felix was a latecomer to the hotel, but, then, so was I, preceding the 1997 British handover of Hong Kong to China by just three years.

The Pen was the 1920s brainchild of the Kadoorie family, who hailed from Baghdad and saw the potential for a luxury hotel in Kowloon, then the terminus of the Trans-Siberian rail system, rather than Hong Kong Island, where land was rapidly increasing in price.

Designed in grand neo-classical style, the Pen opened in 1928, and was soon recognized as one of the finest hotels east of the Suez Canal. It had a roof garden, a phone in every room and its famous driveway encircling a grand fountain. From the lobby, with its vaulted ceiling, marble floors, bas reliefs and bronze-gilded columns, guests enjoyed panoramas of the junks plying the harbor.

As an entrepôt at the crossroads of China and Southeast Asia, 1930s Hong Kong was a hotbed of intrigue, and grand hotels have always made for a romantic spy-tale setting. Years after the Japanese occupied the city in World War II and renamed the hotel Toa, it was revealed that the manager of the hotel barbershop had been a British naval commander taking advantage of the informal atmosphere to gather military intelligence.

Hong Kong boomed in the 1960s, and in 1970 the Pen ordered eight Brewster Green Rolls Royce Silver Shadows, the largest single order the carmaker had ever received. Today the hotel’s Rolls fleet—now even larger— remains very much a part of the brand, which celebrates old-school luxury like no other hotel in Hong Kong.

In 1994, the hotel added a 30-story tower while preserving the iconic façade, forecourt and lobby. A 2012 refurbishment upgraded décor and facilities in all guest rooms. But taking high tea in the marvelous, gilded lobby of the Peninsula while enjoying the performance of a classical string quartet in the mezzanine remains much the same experience as nearly a century ago—a time when the names of our grandes dames spread around the world not through high-design websites and social media and listicles, but in travel books and on luggage stickers and by word of mouth directly from the intrepid voyagers who had sipped a gin and tonic and caught a tropical breeze on their fan-cooled verandas. tr av el andleisure asia .com / december 2017

119

Motor City

Jakarta has a gleaming new modern art museum, swish places to stay and an evolved, diverse dining scene. On his first visit, Duncan Forgan learns that, despite the notorious traffic, this capital is going places. Photographed by Weixiang Lim

High above the city at Henshin, in the Westin Jakarta.

Opposite: A bajaj helps make traffic a bit less terrible.

tr av el andleisure asia .com / december 2017

121

“Mister, quickly. Get your hand back inside,” says Hasan, my bajaj driver, as we round a traffic circle near Fatahillah Square, in Jakarta’s historic Kota Tua, a charismatic hodgepodge where mouthy vendors and interesting canal aromas add grit to grand plazas and fan-cooled colonial-era cafés.

I hadn’t realized that my fingers were in peril until now. As Hasan attempts to thread his beat-up, blue motor rickshaw through an eye of a needle disguised as two cars, however, I swiftly retract my digits to the interior of my tarpaulin-capped, sheet-metal chariot.

It’s important to stay sharp amid the maelstrom that is Indonesia’s capital. Not just since poor bajaj etiquette can easily result in near-amputation; more because there’s just so damn much to take in.

Few cities in Asia are more abundant than Jakarta.

Sprawling like an ungainly toppled giant between the mountains and the ocean in northern Java, this metropolis of more than 9 million souls is the epicenter of the nation—all 1.9 million square kilometers, 17,000 islands and 300-plus ethnicities of it. In Indonesia, most roads (and shipping lines linking Java to the rest of the archipelago) lead to Jakarta. No wonder it’s a notoriously tricky beast to get a handle on.

Bangkok revels in its nickname of “The Big Mango,” but Jakarta’s sobriquet, “The Big Durian,” evokes more problematic imagery. Less sweet, juicy and appetizing: more decadent, malodorous and divisive—a reputation sadly enhanced by its grinding traffic jams, crumbling sidewalks and poor air quality. Yet, while it truly takes a high tolerance for slow journey times to appreciate the city’s rapidly evolving cultural and culinary scenes, sophisticated nightlife and almost unfailingly welcoming locals, these assets make Jakarta a taste worth acquiring.

Later I’ll partake of the pleasures offered by “New Jakarta”: a gleaming ultra-modern playground of skyhigh bars with designer cocktails and beautiful people, world-class art institutions and restaurants to rival any in Asia. Right now, I’m finding that a whirl through the city’s more venerable hoods is as good a way as any to get a steer on this most unknowable of mega-cities.

From Fathahilla Square, we detour through Glodok— the city’s Chinatown—before heading north towards Sunda Kelapa, the old port. The 500-year-old harbor area is not among the city’s more airbrushed attractions. The dark waters of the Ciliwung River estuary are the polaropposite of this archipelago’s array of pristine maritime environments, while the punchy whiff of the ocean is only softened by the sweet smell of workers puffing on kretek, Indonesia’s ubiquitous clove cigarettes. It’s raw, unfiltered Asia, but it’s impossible not to be affected by the sight of the various vessels bobbing in the sea.

Colorful traditional phinisis from Sulawesi are the visual stars. But ships carrying the names of far-off

122

december 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

ports and isles are a romantic reminder of Indonesia’s polyglot character and the role Jakarta has traditionally played in sewing together its disparate threads.

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) is the official motto of Indonesia, and is inscribed into the national symbol, the Garuda Pancasila. It’s always been a somewhat hopeful slogan. Warring factions, restive clans and inter-island rivalry have long been a feature of life.

Even in Jakarta, there’s little obvious cohesion to its disjointed scatter of enclaves. The mélange of influences, though, are central to the city’s charisma—and are found from its historic areas to its best contemporary draws.

One of the most high-profile of these, the newlyminted Museum MACAN (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara), is an audacious attempt to parade the many strands of the nation’s artistic fabric in a world-class setting. It’s also a blessedly air-conditioned refuge after a buzz through Old Jakarta.

Designed by the award-winning MET Studio Design, the private museum, funded by tycoon and art collector Haryanto Adikoesoemo, cuts no corners. Two-thousandsquare-meters of exhibit space holds works by legendary home-grown artists like Raden Saleh and Affandi, and international big-hitters like Jeff Koons, Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol. The stars are a strong draw, but, as museum director Aaron Seeto tells me, MACAN’s role as ambassador for Indonesian talent cannot be underplayed. “It illustrates a coming of age for the art scene in this country,” he says. “It’s the first facility of its kind here: large-scale, temperature-controlled. And it has come at exactly the right time due to the deserved recognition that Indonesian art is getting. The collection is multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic. It’s an exciting snapshot of the country as a whole.”

It’s easy to get lost in the various works on show, whether it’s Affandi’s Expressionist efforts or the quirky, observant style of Balinese artist Nyoman Masriada.

Unfortunately, though, the day is pushing on and a sharp exit is required to mitigate the vagaries of the rush hour.

It would be churlish to linger on the city’s chronic car problem. Yet avoiding mention of it would be negligent. Two cardinal things to remember: first, be in the area you want to be for dinner and drinks by before 5 p.m. on weekdays; and second, the city’s fleet of ojek (motorbike taxis) are most decidedly your friend.

Anyway, Jakarta’s incredible dining scene is worth hurdling a few irritating obstacles to dive into.

At Bistecca—a new New York/Italian steakhouse by local hospitality powerhouse The Union Group—I feast

Cloud Jakarta, one of the city’s sundry skybars. Clockwise from left: Palm Court restaurant in the Four Seasons; Jin De Yuan Confucian Temple in Glodok; legendary food stall Gado Gado Bon Bin.

The melange of influences are central to the city’s charisma

The vast prayer hall in Istiqlal Mosque can accommodate up to 120,000 people.

A selfie at Istiqlal Mosque. Clockwise from right: Live music at Lola; Chicory’s sweet selection; the nasi Padang spread at Rumah Makan Surya; phinisi at the port; Four Seasons’ Nautilus Bar.

on a signature bistecca alla fiorentina, dry-aged for 45 days, and souse myself with potent martinis before ojeking back to the Four Seasons in a contented meat coma.

To be fair, the hotel plays a major role in this feeling of wellbeing. An all-star cast including architect Cesar Pelli, interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud and landscaping magus Bill Bensley had a hand in the new property, which moves the brand’s Jakarta presence to the shiny Capital Place development. I expend the last of my energy on a nightcap at the clubby Nautilus Bar then stumble off to my plush suite for a good night’s rest.

I enjoy tostaditas with blue swimmer crab at Mexican cantina Super Loco and the outstanding tapas (and wine) at buzzy new Spanish bar Basque. But with so much of Indonesia on offer in Jakarta, I commit to hopping my taste buds around the archipelago. On Gang Gloria, a street food hub in Glodok, I graze on Chinese-tinged treats like crunchy fried bakso (meatballs) and noodles in curry sauce from famed vendor Kari Lam before a kopi es (iced coffee) from the venerable Kopi Es Tak Kie. The following day, I bookend a visit to the cavernous Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, with a breakfast of gado gado (vegetables, egg, tofu and peanut sauce) at locally loved stall Gado Gado Bon Bin, and lunch at Rumah Makan Surya, a stalwart for nasi Padang—the Sumatran version of the all-you-can-eat buffet where steamed rice is served with pre-cooked curries.

Jakarta also majors in dining at the sophisticated end of the Indonesian spectrum. At Nusa Indonesian Gastronomy in the leafy enclave of Kemang, I embark on a seven-course culinary journey that chef Ragil Imam Wibowo steers from Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra in the west to the wilds of far-flung Papua in the east.

Highlights include oysters from the Maluku Islands with sambal from Sulawesi, and smoked Sumatran tuna with chili paste mixed with fermented durian. The chocolate quartet using mousse made with chocolate from Flores, unsweetened chocolate from Bali, chocolate chips from Aceh and Javanese chocolate gelato is delicate and decadent in equal measure. With the smooth milkiness of the gelato and the richness of the mousse counteracting the nutty bitterness of the chocolate chip, it makes me a proponent of that unity in diversity trope.

It’s certainly a memorable way to cap my final meal in a city that I’ve barely scratched the surface of, but have at least begun to vaguely fathom. Later that evening, I survey the twinkling cacophony of the metropolis from the vantage point of Henshin, the Peruvian/Japanese bar-restaurant at the crown of the Westin Jakarta.

Perched on top of the highest tower in the city, the alfresco bar is as suited for meditation as for socializing.

I am joined in my musing by hotel general manager Arun Kumar, a native of Bangalore, India. “When you live in a city, you embrace it: warts and all,” he says. “And I believe that Jakarta repays the effort that you put in.”

User-friendly it is not. Unfathomable and vast it is.

But for those who appreciate and love the nuances of a charismatic mega-city, Jakarta offers one hell of a breakneck ride. Just keep your hands inside the bajaj.

The details Hotels Four Seasons Jakarta With architecture by Cesar Pelli, interiors by the atelier of New York–based designer Alexandra Champalimaud and landscaping by Bill Bensley, no detail has been spared at the new, all-suite hotel. Chinoiserie wall panels, Indonesian art and Italian marble bathrooms distinguish the accommodations, while a lush outdoor pool, plush bar and Italian restaurant Alto are among the pick of the extras. fourseasons.com; doubles from US$190.

Westin Jakarta Situated on the top 20 floors of Indonesia’s highest building, the 304-meter-tall Gama Tower, the new Westin offers a lofty perspective on things. The chic, airy rooms and features such as an indoor heated pool are an elevated take on luxury, and at Henshin, a Japanese/Peruvian bar-restaurant on its uppermost floors, Chef Hajime Kasuga presides over a menu that includes tangy ceviche, luxurious maki and melt-in-themouth sous vide meats. westinjakarta.com; doubles from US$160; meal for two US$100.

Restaurants Bistecca Paying homage to great Italian-American steakhouses, this temple of beef has style, substance and potent martinis. Premium cuts include certified Japanese wagyu, Australian Angus, and the venue’s signature bistecca alla fiorentina, dry-aged for 45 days. bisteccajkt. com; meal for two US$100.

Chicory Patisserie Find tasty cakes, pastries and pies, at this cute, tile-floored spot. Jl Sumenep No. 9, Menteng; 62-21/ 3192-5799; meal for two US$20.

Gado Gado Bon Bin This local favorite has been dishing out their spicy salad since 1960—their silky peanut sauce draws a crowd. Jl Cikini IV No. 5, Menteng; 62-21/3141539; meal for two US$5.

Kari Lam There’s something defiantly old-school about this Glodok vendor, who has been serving up his delicious curry noodles since 1973. Choose from chicken or beef and feel the hearty goodness. Jl. Pintu Besar Selatan 2 No. 7, Kota; meal for two US$5.

Kaum Kaum Jakarta takes the route less traveled while preaching its culinary gospel. Instead of the archipelago’s greatest hits, expect lesser-known creations from around the country. kaum.com; meal for two US$50.

Nusa Indonesian Gastronomy Chef Ragil Imam Wibowo draws on premium ingredients and cooking methods from across the archipelago to create eye-catching, palate-pleasing dishes. nusa gastronomy.com; seven-course tasting menu for two US$150.

Rumah Makan Surya Jakartans go wild for nasi Padang. The menu at Rumah Makan Surya is uniformly excellent. Get the decadent beef rendang. Jln Bendungan Hilir Raya No. 15, Bendungan Hilir; 62-21/5731474; meal for two US$20.

Super Loco The popular Singaporean modern-Mexican spot is already making waves at its new location here with authentic tacos, burritos and quesadillas and strong margaritas. super-loco.com/ jakarta; meal for two US$40.

Bars BART Among the plethora of good rooftop bars in Jakarta, this venue at the trendy Artotel is hipper than most with regular parties by some of the town’s best underground DJs. artotelindonesia.com.

Basque A fine place to eat, drink and be merry, this new addition to the bar scene is a solid for tapas, cocktails and wine. basquejkt.com.

Cloud Lounge Another sky-high bar, this one is a favorite haunt of the party crowd. Extra marks for the special cold room, designed for drinking vodka. cloudjakarta.com.

Lola This South American–style speakeasy also has a lengthy food menu—try the empanadas or the Cuban sandwich. lolajkt.com.

Activities Kopi Es Tak Kie Glodok is always atmospheric. Browse the culinary offerings, the shops selling traditional herbs then refuel at Tak Kie, a traditional coffee shop that counts Indonesian president Joko Widodo among its customers. kopiestakkie.com.

Museum MACAN Founded by one of Indonesia’s top philanthropists, this brand-new museum is one of the most impressive art hubs in Southeast Asia. The permanent collection spans work by contemporary Indonesian talent and global greats such as Rothko and Warhol. museummacan.org.

Surabaya Street Fleamarket This daily street market is a great place to browse for antiques, fake antiques and general goodies, from ancient vinyl to suitcases to puppets. Jalan Surabaya.

tr av el andleisure asia .com / december 2017

127

OU T OF T A summer getaway to the Spanish island of Menorca turns out to be unforgettable

encounter postcard-perfect beaches, sun-bleached villages, and wondrous

Cala Macarelleta, a tiny inlet on Menorca’s southern coast, is home to one of the island’s justly famous beaches.

HE BLUE for reasons both familiar and unexpected, as Devin Friedman and his family caves—plus, a lobster stew worthy of poetry. photographed by Salva López

Lobster stew, a local specialty known to Menorcans as caldereta de llagosta, served at Es Cranc restaurant, in Fornells.

Opposite: Swimmers enjoying the water in Cala Macarella.

ur family trip to Menorca should have been remembered as any number of things: the summer vacation when my daughter learned to snorkel, that time my dad ate a lobster’s face, the week of 17 impossibly perfect beaches. And it was all that, but halfway through our stay it also became the time my wife found out her mother was dying.

We had rented a house on the Spanish island’s southern coast, in a community called Binibèquer. It sounds like Binny Baker. We had a running joke about Binny Baker, whom we imagined a legendary British comedian and predecessor to Benny Hill who’d retired to Menorca. Binibèquer has white cement and plaster houses on a town center you can walk around and buy sunscreen and beach pails and eat mussels and drink sangria made with Sprite at the bars.

Travel can be a trick you play on yourself. You can almost make yourself believe you actually live in another place. It’s effective. In just a few days, the memory of our real lives can be obliterated.

Rituals help with that. On Menorca, we got our morning coffee from the bakery by the supermarket. We went to the beach around nine.

This was our favorite local cheese, that was our favorite walk. But when texts with the news of Danielle’s mother began arriving at 3 or

4 a.m., it yanked us out of that fantasy. Suddenly we were just strangers in a place far from home.

It was a warm night, and Danielle must have been up checking her phone. She often can’t sleep. She has the metabolism of a cute, extremely aware fox watching a ping-pong match, and she gets more things done between midnight and 5 a.m. (if you count booking babysitters and panicking about global warming as getting things done) than I do all day long. On this night, for some reason I woke up, too. Disturbance in the Force or what have you.

“My mom had a stroke,” Danielle announced, sitting up in bed. She’d gotten a text from one sister first.

That sister was prone to drama, though. My mother-in-law had had many strokes, all of them minor. But then a text from another sister. And

tr av el andleisure asia .com / december 2017

131

then from my brother-in-law, kind of a gray-haired father figure who can always be counted on when a cooler head is needed to prevail. He said it was possible Danielle’s mother had only a short time to live. So the news was sanctioned.

Danielle was funny about it. She was crying but also mordant. She said something about how her mother was probably telling a paramedic he didn’t know how to drive the roads near her house and was going the wrong way.

As daybreak arrived, the sky became a deep blue, and the wind picked up.

The morning gusts were so strong that they could knock over shampoo bottles in the bathroom. Outside on the patio in that wind, we agreed that Danielle would fly home as soon as possible. I, along with our two kids and my parents, who were with us on the trip, would keep our return tickets and fly back in a few days.

Es Cranc owner Jose Garriga. opposite: Cala Pregonda, on the island’s northern coast.

132

U

pon our arrival in Menorca, we had picked up a large car we had reserved. It was some kind of Renault, called a Mavis Gallant, I think. (Disclaimer: its real name wasn’t Mavis Gallant.) It was long and wide, and had enough trunk space to put another Renault inside of it.

It was like a car designed by M. C. Escher. On our second morning, we packed into the Mavis Gallant to go to the beach. Danielle and I in the front, while the children (Finn, boy, age five; Frankie, girl, age seven) sat about five kilometers away from us in the backseat, where they looked like shrunken businessmen in a limousine. My parents rented the same Renault Mavis Gallant, naturally. Gordon and Jill, ages 74 and 72 at the time of this vacation, are the happiest people I know, though they’ve been through terrible hardships. Also, my dad is the slowest driver in the world. The vacation was mostly me pulling over on the side of the highway across Menorca, through a miniature mountain range and bleach-blond farmland, waiting for him. He trailed me as we headed west out of Binny Baker.

Here’s the deal with Menorca: it’s the most laid-back and familyfriendly of Spain’s Balearic Islands. While there are sophisticated restaurants and places to stay (including a boutique vineyard hotel called Torralbenc, where they administer some top-notch massages, as I can personally attest), the island is emphatically low-key. It doesn’t have the hordes of British and German vacationers who make neighboring Mallorca so, at times, not-fun. Also absent are the untzuntz nightclubs—and dudes sitting on the beach in US$400 flip-flops scrolling through Instagram—that plague Ibiza. What you have instead on Menorca are rocks, Spaniards and a ton of great beaches.

Menorca’s beaches come in a full spectrum. There are tiny coves notched into the coastline everywhere, for furtive couples and nudists. There is Son Bou beach, perfectly long and wide and sandy.

There’s the rugged and beautiful Cala Pregonda, which you hike to over a series of hills, each spot beckoning you to the next, just in case it’s even prettier and less crowded (and it almost always is).

Three of Menorca’s most famous beaches are clustered along the southwestern coast: Cala Macarella, Son Saura and Cala en Turqueta.

They’re sort of Menorca’s analogue to the Eiffel Tower or Times Square—touristic imperatives. Places you have to visit because otherwise you wouldn’t feel like you’ve really been to Menorca.

As you drive to those beaches in your Renault MG, at some point you’ll come to large, mysterious electronic signs. You might guess that they have been placed in the peaceful, sun-beaten farmland to give people gate information for some cosmic portal. Stand next to this cow at 4:30 and you’ll be sucked into another dimension! But in fact they are something stranger: parking information signs. The prime beaches, in the height of the season (your late Julys through your ends of August), are so ungodly popular that a system was set up to start turning people away kilometers from the actual beaches.

We slowed the Mavis Gallant as we approached a sign for Cala Macarella parking. Next to it there was a lady sitting in the shade of a small tent. She explained that the lot was full. And suggested we eat lunch. In a few hours people would leave and we could come back. She helped me navigate a 14-point turn in the Renault.

My father still hadn’t caught up.

We had lunch in Es Migjorn Gran, a town set into the side of a mountainette with a centuries-old center. At Bar Peri—a dark, quiet tapas spot seemingly not updated since the 1940s—we ordered typical small plates. Finn didn’t eat a single bite of nutritious food.

But he wanted dessert. “If you eat your tortilla,” I said, “you can have dessert. But if you don’t, you can’t.” Danielle looked at me: Don’t

december 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

I floated on my back, and for a minute I let go of all dissatisfaction.

It added one year to my life

Menorca is pocked with caves—Caves into which ancient contemplators disappeared, caves that now host expensive cocktail lounges

draw lines in the sand you don’t intend to back up. I glared back: Can you stop judging my parenting? “Okay, how about just three bites,” I said. “But I won’t negotiate any more.” Danielle rolled her eyes.

Looking at Finn, I could tell a whine was coming. There was a Spanish family with beautifully behaved children at the next table.

My father was having just the friendliest conversation with them, even though he speaks no Spanish. He can do that. Finn’s whine was attracting attention. I was desperate. “Okay, just one bite… half a bite… forget it—just go pick some ice cream out of the freezer!”

Danielle was yelling at me without saying anything. That she was right made me angrier.

There was a freezer near the bar stuffed with the kinds of factory-made, highly processed ice cream products people back home in Brooklyn are statutorily prohibited from giving their kids.

Finn stood looking; there were so many. Frankie was already eating an ice cream cone, watching amusedly. “I can’t decide,” Finn said.

He said it like an accusation—how could you take me to this place with all these kinds of ice cream? “Just get the one that Frankie has,” I begged. Jill joined in: “Ooooh, that one looks delicious!” We all knew what was coming. I tried getting philosophical: “Your indecision is so legitimate. Disappointment is inevitable.” I shot a quick glance at my wife, who wasn’t even trying to interfere: Let me handle this.

When I finally got him to pick one, unwrapped it for him, and he tasted it, he dropped it on the ground and screamed, “I want what Frankie has!!!!”

So I went over to buy him that one. It didn’t work.

slowing down. As he penned me in from behind, the oncoming car penned me in from the front, pushing us together to a point where it was unclear how to disentangle all our Mavis Gallants. It was, I thought, kind of like the impasse that I’d come to with Danielle. Not so much a fight as both of us inching forward and not backing down, and neither of us knowing how to get out of it.

O

ne of the things that makes Menorca the most authentic Balearic island, in my opinion, is that all of its towns feel real. Not BS tourist towns made up of hotels and drywall grocery stores but the kind of towns you’d expect to find

M

enorca’s beaches are famous for a reason, and Cala Macarella is arguably the most spectacular of them all. It’s a turquoise inlet surrounded by cliffs and rocks and pine forest, tipped with a gentle slope of white sand. Spaniards were gathered on the beach and in the shallows. Topless women, babies, young couples rolling cigarettes. With the cliff walls it felt a bit like an amphitheater—all of us sitting on the sand to watch the sea perform.

I went for a swim. The water was perfect: blue-green, just cool enough to be refreshing. It was easy to get out far enough to feel alone, the other people reduced to visual details, like wildflowers in a field. In no time I’d swum around a bend and into another cove, a smaller version of Macarella called Macarelleta. The same deal— people on the sand staring out at the sea. I floated on my back, and for a minute I let go of all dissatisfaction. It added one year to my life.

After I returned, we got the kids ready to leave. I was silently levying a protest against my wife. She responded with a wordless counterprotest. But we dried and dressed the kids and desanded the clothes and walked back through the forest to the car in a kind of practiced synchronicity. On the path to the parking lot, the sun was burning the carpet of pine needles at a slow roast, releasing a beautiful, dry smell.

Roads on Menorca don’t always make accommodations to modern traffic. There are a lot of farm roads, lined by stone walls that push in from the sides. Two cars can just squeeze past each other. Usually. When a car approaches, you both keep slowing down and slowing down until you’re creeping past each other with minimal tolerance, pulling your mirrors in, sometimes passing close enough to reach out and change the other car’s radio station.

And on the way home I found myself in such a bottleneck.

I slowed. The oncoming car slowed. My father crept steadily behind me, liking the pace, probably not even realizing that I was

A scallop dish at Torralbenc, a boutique hotel on a vineyard near Alaior. opposite: Terraces of the Cova d’en Xoroi bar and nightclub, which is set into cliffside caves that overlook the sea in Cala en Porter.

tr av el andleisure asia .com / december 2017

135

The exterior of Torralbenc hotel.

During the summer, each Menorcan town has its own day of the week to host night markets—one evening it’s in Fornells, another in Ferreries, another in Alaior. On those nights, the bars and restaurants drag tables into the street, some kind of Spanish marching band or reggae five-piece is booked for a stage in the central plaza, and vendors sell bracelets and cookies and fresh fruit juices.

On Alaior’s designated night, we drove to its outskirts and ditched the Renault in a lot. With Gordon and Jill in tow, we hoofed it into the town center, toward the sounds of Spanish people having fun. Once we were there, it wasn’t long before my daughter discovered a hand-built merry-go-round set up in the middle of a lane. You paid your money and picked a “horse,” constructed out of old tires and scrap metal and broom handles. Then the man put the music on. He powered the contraption using a bicycle whose back wheel was connected to a gear, propelling the riders around in circles. I held Danielle’s hand as we watched the guy pedal (he basically had to complete a stage of the Tour de France over the course of the evening). We were suddenly not mad anymore. That was it. We didn’t talk our way through it. We just left it behind and moved on.

When I was young and foolish, I wouldn’t have thought that was how you worked things out.

T on some hilltop in Castile—old and formidable, with heavy stone buildings and narrow streets and real live old ladies sitting on benches mumbling to each other. During the day, when everyone is indoors, hiding from the sun, these towns— especially those in the interior—can take on the air of a lost civilization, but at night they come alive.

On Menorca, you are constantly reminded that there’s a reason why the Spanish eat and socialize so late: because it’s so hot during the day. The sun comes at an unpleasant volume, with retina-searing intensity. (One time Finn had to go out into an unshaded plaza to chase down his soccer ball in the middle of the day, and I half expected him to start smoking and burst into flames.) But at night? At night it’s civilized.

Temperatures drop, and the wind courses over the island, whipping Menorcans’ towels and underpants as they dry on their clotheslines.

136

he town of Fornells is different from other places on the island. Out there on Menorca’s northern coast, the landscape suggests Patagonia. Sparse, rocky, windswept. Martian except for the sea. Located near the mouth of a small bay—with sailboats in the water and sturdy stone houses clinging to the coastline—the town itself resembles an Irish fishing village that’s been perfectly restored and translated into Spanish. In the distance we could see the Mediterranean pouring into the inlet as the tide came in. But was that really the gentle Mediterranean—the sea of linguine and light white wines, tasteful yachts and old, tanned Greek men swimming the crawl at dusk? Because here it was all crushing waves and relentless wind churning against the shore. It felt almost like a thing you weren’t supposed to see.

Fornells is famous for its lobster stew. In the local Catalan the dish is called caldereta de llagosta, and there are a number of wellknown restaurants that serve it. Arguably, the most famous of these is Es Cranc. Which I believe translates to “The Crankypants.” It can be difficult to get a table at Es Cranc in the high season unless you reserved last year. And maybe not even then, as it’s filled with families that have been coming to Es Cranc forever and have their appointed tables. As for the American travel magazine I was writing for? Es Cranc couldn’t have cared less.

We did get a table at the second-place spot, Sa Llagosta. But only in what the restaurant industry refers to as “shoulder hours.”

Though we were seated at 6:30—when no Spaniard would ever eat dinner—I will tell you this: the lobster stew might be US$80 per person (it is, in fact, US$80 per person), but it’s worth more than that. Your lobster, severed into chunks, is cooked in a brown soup for a very long time at a low temperature. The soup itself is made by boiling lobster shells and fish bones and saffron and pepper and who knows what else for days until it turns into an intense, briny broth.

It comes to the table in a large, earthenware cauldron with a set of dental devices with which to extract the meat. My father mostly just held the tooth scaler in one hand, using the other to grasp the lobster carcass as he gleefully sucked the meat out.

december 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com

Finn tried the stew, but he wasn’t feeling it. Frankie liked it, but didn’t love it. Jill wrote a sonnet about it.

W

hen the kids woke up on the morning we got the news about Danielle’s mom, we told them the truth without telling them the truth. It’s one of those things you learn. “Mormor is sick, and Mommy has to go home to see her,” we said (mormor is Swedish for maternal grandmother; Danielle’s mom is Swedish). We waited to see if they wanted more information—they never ask for more than they can handle. For Danielle’s last day, we would go to Ciutadella, the most elegant and cosmopolitan of Menorca’s towns, and eat our faces off and buy stuff; after that we’d visit the Cap de Cavalleria lighthouse, which the kids wanted to do.

For lunch, we got a table at S’Amarador, a crowded restaurant in Ciutadella’s harbor that serves the kind of food you’d expect to find on a stylish yacht. We ordered plates of mussels, squid, hard Spanish cheeses (and less-hard Spanish cheeses), grilled fish, roasted fish, and fish soup. I believe there was a salad involved. We drank wine. We all held hands. Danielle cried. I already missed her.

I felt ill at ease, wondering how I would inject a sense of fun into anything. Which is not what I should have been thinking about when my wife’s mother was dying. On the way to the restaurant, the kids and I had picked up a little yellow cotton dress for Danielle. It just felt like Menorca, kind of sunny and breezy. At lunch I started to take it out to give to her.

“Please don’t,” she said. “Or else it will always be the dress I got when I found out my mother was dying.”

A

fter lunch, we drove to the lighthouse. When we arrived, Jill went to the information kiosk (she’s interested in things; I’m not) while my dad sat down and soaked it all in from a restful position, as is his wont. Danielle was on the phone with her sisters. I took the kids out to a cave. Menorca is pocked with caves— in cliffs and underwater. Caves into which ancient contemplators disappeared, where Jews were imprisoned, treasures hidden. Caves that now host expensive cocktail lounges, like the famous Cova d’en Xoroi. Near the lighthouse, a hundred meters from the cliff’s edge, there is a

cave entrance. Just a hole in the ground. And into that hole we saw people disappearing one at a time.

As soon as it was our turn, Frankie wriggled right down the ladder and disappeared into the blackness. But Finn was frightened.

He stared into the hole. Finn at age five was such a force of nature, approaching the world with such defiance, that it surprised me when he got scared and grabbed onto my thumb with his soft little hand. He looked at me and said, “I want to go, but I also don’t want to go. Should I be scared?” The main psychological questions laid bare, without any of the repression we learn later in life.

“I would be, probably,” I said. “But it’s not actually going to be scary when you’re down there.”

Finn eventually proceeded, solemnly, into the blackness. Frankie was waiting for us, and she took one of my hands while Finn took the other. We walked down a long underground passageway until we came to an opening, protected by a metal grate, overlooking the sea at a terrifying height. The three of us gazed out, kind of willing ourselves to bear witness. I like to think Frankie and Finn shared my sense of staring into an unknown—just as their grandmother was doing back home in America.

Turning toward the exit, Finn said he wanted an ice cream cone.

I told him to ask his mom.

The details getting there Fly to Menorca Airport via Madrid, Barcelona, or other European hubs like London and Rome.

also a lovely spa, a restaurant and a knockout swimming pool.

Alaior; torralbenc.com; doubles from €170.

Hotels Alcaufar Vell The 21 rooms and various outbuildings at this historic property—portions of which are said to date back to the 14th century—have been gracefully modernized. Sant Lluís; alcaufar​vell.com; doubles from €210.

Torralbenc Set amid vineyards, this oasis of luxury features 27 warmly minimalist rooms in converted farm buildings. There’s

Restaurants & bars Cova d’en Xoroi Make your way through a series of caves to enjoy the breathtaking sunset views and live music at this bar carved into the cliffs. After sundown, be prepared to dance, as the space turns into a nightclub. Alaior; covadenxoroi.com.

Es Cranc This restaurant can be hard to get in to in high season, but its lobster stew—a local specialty—is worth the effort. So

plan ahead and brace yourself to spend a bit to try the delicacy.

31 Carr. de les Escoles, Fornells; 34/971-37-64-42; mains €42–€68.

Sa Llagosta A great alternative to Es Cranc, this spot serves up excellent seafood dishes. 12 Carr. de Gabriel Gelabert, Fornells; 34/971-37-65-66; mains €26–€66.

S’Amarador Like many restaurants on the island, S’Amarador is all about seafood.

The dining room, located in the historic port of Ciutadella, offers mussels, clams and more. samarador.com; mains €21–€62.

historic lightS

The island of Menorca is dotted with lighthouses— seven, to be exact. Visit one to learn about the region’s maritime history while enjoying panoramic views of the Mediterranean.

wish you were here

Jonathan Pozniak / Kerala / india On the downward slope from Kolukkumalai, at 2,170 meters the highest tea plantation in the world, no view stays the same for more than a quick minute. Topping off on the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the entire Munnar region is shrouded in cool mist that snakes in and out of mountain peaks, turning the vibrant green landscape into a blanket of undulating white as the sun peeks through. Electric green tea bushes are impeccably manicured like cells, growing up hills too steep for anyone but a tea picker to climb. Locals and visitors alike come to the Western Ghats to beat the heat of southern India, and for a tea that derives its flavor from the cool climes of this altitude.

A sweet cup of Orange Pekoe with steaming hot milk in hand, we just parked ourselves cliff-side and watched the show of fog and light dance in all directions around us.

138 

december 2017 / tr av el andleisure asia .com